


A Woman's Touch

by SilverKitsune2017



Category: Naruto
Genre: Ages have been slightly altered., Butterflies, F/M, Family Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Itachi is always awesome, Matchmaker Kakashi, Mirai is an adorable child, Never understimate butterflies., Romance, Sasuke's first crush, Sensuality, Slight references to Reincarnation, This takes place AFTER Asuma's death, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:21:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 71,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune2017/pseuds/SilverKitsune2017
Summary: "He needs to form a bond with someone who he can have a conversation with that doesn't end in violence. A woman's touch might be better suited to help him." Kakashi told Kurenai. Reluctantly, she accepted the mission. Still she never expected what happened next. "I don't like girls. I prefer women." Sasuke said with a smirk. She never expected to fall in love again, but she did.





	1. Sasuke's Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I got a few requests for a Sasuke x Kurenai pairing and decided to grant it. Sasuke is 19 and I slightly adjusted Kurenai's age. In this story, she'll be 25. Some parts of this tale line up with canon and some parts will diverge radically. This is also one of my older works. So the style the technical style will be more basic, but I still love the plot and decided to post it anyway. If any of those things bother you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my fanfics.

"Kurenai, I have called you here because I would like to assign you a very important mission. Due to the personal nature of this one, you are free to refuse it." Kakashi says.

Kurenai tilts her head to the side as she observes Kakashi. The silver haired ninja was now Hokage. She thought that was rather amusing. The man who wanted to be Hokage least was now in charge of their village.

Poor Shizune was going to have her hands full with keeping the CopyCat Ninja in line. It made her giggle to think of Kakashi sitting behind a desk all day and trying to find an excuse to get out of paperwork. He was a combat ninja. The administrative aspect of his new position likely bored him to tears.

"I understand. What is the mission, Lord Hokage?" She asks softly.

"Sasuke has just sent word that he intends to return to the village soon." Kakashi tells her.

Kurenai blinks. Whatever she had expected, it hadn't been that. After the war, the last Uchiha had decided to go on a Journey of Redemption. He had been gone for about two years now.

Occasionally, she would hear rumors about his various exploits. The Genjutsu Mistress had no idea what was fact and what was fiction. She suspected that Sasuke wanted it that way. Perhaps on some level, he enjoyed keeping people guessing.

"You must be overjoyed. I know that he was once your student." She offers diplomatically.

"Don't get me wrong. I am happy that he's returning home, but I do have my concerns. There will be those in the village who will understandably be wary of him. Not everyone is as forgiving as Naruto. That and Sasuke is still grieving and dealing with his own issues. Those two factors could make for a potentially explosive combination." The masked ninja continues.

Kurenai pauses as she considers Kakashi's words. That was true. Though she had a hard time imagining that anyone would be foolish enough to pick a fight with Sasuke. The last Uchiha and Naruto were now so powerful that they had essentially become almost godlike figures in the ninja world. It would be potentially suicidal to provoke him and everyone knew it.

"I can understand why such an equation would make you wary, but I wouldn't worry too much. Only the most foolish of fools would actually provoke him." The ruby eyed woman offers.

"That's true. I don't expect that anyone will challenge him to combat or say anything to him directly. I do expect there will be a great deal of whispering, staring, and dirty looks though. Such things, do have an impact. Unfortunately, Sasuke's mind is likely not the most stable at the moment. I wouldn't be shocked, if he was suffering from undiagnosed PTSD." The other ninja explains.

Now that Kakashi mentioned it, that was more likely than not. As far as Kurenai could tell, Sasuke had never received any therapy after the Massacre. That and to make matters worse, he had been sent back to his District afterwards. He had lived in the same house where his parents were murdered for almost six years after their death. That was bound to have an impact on anyone.

In hindsight, his defection wasn't shocking. It had been tragically predictable. He wanted to avenge his family and someone was offering him a way to achieve that.

He must have felt as if he was a standstill in the Leaf Village. Perhaps the entire tragic affair could have been avoided, but she supposed that didn't really matter at the moment. One couldn't change the past.

"I can certainly see why you would believe that. Though I must admit, I am confused. What does any of this have to do with me?" She inquires.

"Realistically, you are the closest thing to a neutral party that I can find in this village. You're also a Jonin and formidable in your own right. Sasuke respects strength. I believe that he might benefit from your guidance as he makes his transition back into the Leaf." Kakashi says.

She blinks. Had Kakashi just said what she thought he said? He wanted her to babysit Sasuke Uchiha?

"I suppose that's all accurate enough, but I don't think that Sasuke would respond well to my "guidance," as you call it." She points out.

"Perhaps not, but may I speak frankly?" The CopyCat Ninja replies.

"Of course." Kurenai says, not at all certain where Kakashi was going with this.

Kakashi sighs and bites his lower lip as he considers the best way to explain his decision to her. It could easily be taken the wrong way. He had no wish to offend his colleague, but it looked like he would have to be blunt.

"Naruto's approach clearly didn't work. I think that as a woman you may be better suited to help him adjust. A woman's touch is needed. He needs to form a bond with someone who he can have a conversation with that doesn't end up in fists flying." The Hokage replies as tactfully as he could.

Kurenai blinks. She wasn't entirely sure how to take that. Kakashi had a point about fists. Sasuke really did need to establish some healthier bonds. Naruot and Sasuke were inseparable, but there was no denying their relationship was an explosive one. He needed "normal friends."

That and you are a mother. I believe that gives you a certain skill set that many of our active duty ninjas don't possess. Sasuke's highly intelligent, but his emotional growth was severely stunted by the Massacre. He's obviously a man now, but in some ways he really is a very hurt child." He continues.

The Genjutsu Mistress sighs. She couldn't argue with that either. She still didn't think that this was a very good idea, but she wasn't going to let the Hokage down.

"Alright. I'll take the mission. What do you want me to do exactly?" She asks.

"I've told him that I'm going to send someone to live in the Uchiha District with him to help with the repairs. I want you to monitor his behavior. If you see anything concerning, tell me. Try to get him to open up, if you can. Be subtle about it. Sasuke is smart enough to realize when someone is probing. If that happens, he'll shut up tighter than a clam." Kakashi warns her.

"I'm not sure that I can live with him. Mirai is a toddler, Kakashi. You said it yourself, Sasuke isn't entirely mentally stable." She reminds him.

"Sasuke is prone to violence and rage, but it's always been a focused one. I've never known him to attack a child. I will also have ANBU surrounding the perimeter. In the worst case scenario, they would get you and Mirai to safety." The Hokage assures Kurenai.

Kurenai sighs and nods. Well when he put it like that, it seemed reasonably safe. That and it was probably the smarter move in the long run.

If Sasuke Uchiha ever decided he wanted to destroy the Leaf again, it wouldn't matter how far away they were from him. She and her daughter would likely get in the crossfire. This mission could be filed under the category of prevention.

"I'll do it." She says and Kakashi smiles.

"Thank you. I knew that I could count on you." He says cheerfully.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke had just arrived back in the Leaf Village. Thankfully, it was a couple hours after sunset. The streets weren't terribly busy. A fact that he was very grateful for.

The few stares and whispers that he was getting at the moment were bad enough. He had grown accustomed to them as he traveled, but that didn't mean they were ever something he WANTED to endure. Honestly, some days he considered becoming a hermit.

He could find a nice cave or mountain somewhere. Sasuke could live off the land. Maybe he'd find someone to restore his Clan with and then wait for old age to take him. It was a fairly tempting option, but he knew better than to act on that impulse.

He had caused a lot of people far too much pain to take the easy way out. One way or another, he was going to atone for his past mistakes or die trying. That meant that sooner or later, he had to face his demons.

"Bastard! You're back!" A blonde blur says as he tackle hugs Sasuke to the ground.

Sasuke twitches. Not only did he have to face his own demons, he had to face a Jinchuuriki. There were days when he truly wondered which was worse.

Naruto was his best friend though. The last Uchiha still couldn't understand why that was the case. He had hurt Naruto more than anyone else, but the Leaf Ninja had never given up on him. It didn't make any sense.

"Yeah. I'm back. I missed you too. Now get off me loser or else Hinata is probably going to start thinking that you like men more than women." Sasuke taunts him with a smirk.

"Wait. What?" Naruto asks in confusion.

Sasuke shakes his head. He honestly didn't know how someone who had trained under Kakashi and Jiraiya could be THAT naïve. Nevermind. It didn't matter.

"Forget it. I sent Kakashi a letter informing him that I was coming back fro good. I'm guessing that he told you. Did he tell Sakura as well?" Sasuke asks warily.

"Yeah. She knows. She's really excited to see you! We didn't expect you back for another couple of days though. So that's why she isn't with me." Naruto explains.

Sasuke mentally sighs. Great. Sakura knew. That meant that he was going to have to face her. That wasn't going to be pretty.

Other than Naruto, he had hurt Sakura the worst. He knew that she likely still believed that she was in love with him, but Sasuke knew the truth. Sakura wasn't in love with HIM. The medic was in love with some idealized version of him that she had dreamed up back in her Academy Days.

"It's probably just as well. I'm heading home. I need some sleep. It's been a long trip." Sasuke mutters.

Despite that, he had considered coming back and courting her. There were many people who were frightened of him now. That included a healthy dose of women. The women that weren't afraid of him were generally insane or stupid. At the very least, he couldn't call Sakura either of those things. That was something, right?

"Oh. Alright. Tomorrow, we can go out for ramen or something though! There's so much that I have to tell you!" Naruto says brightly.

Sakura probably would have accepted his proposal. He could have restored his Clan with her. Still that meant there was a slight possibility of pink haired sons and he just wasn't attracted to her. Sasuke had decided in the end that it would have been cruel to her, him, and potentially to their sons. (Hell it would have been cruel to their potential daughters as well. It was just hard to take a pink haired ninja seriously, regardless of gender.)

"Alright. We can go out for ramen, tomorrow." He says and Naruto grins.

He really wished that he could be Naruto. The blonde's world was a simple one. All he needed to feel better was for his friends to be near him and a few bowls of ramen. He envied the blonde for that fact.

"Great! I'll see you later! It's great to have you back!" Naruto says as he pats Sasuke on the back and heads off.

Sasuke sighs as he watches Naruto leave and he continues on towards the Uchiha District. Well what was left of it. During the attacks, it had been reduced mostly to rubble. Thankfully, Kakashi had ensured that at least his house had been restored.

That was a fact that he was very grateful for. Sasuke really didn't want to have to book a room at a hotel or inn until he found a new home. That would just be awkward. The Uchiha District might be more of a cemetery than a home, but at least it was a private place.

"And privacy is something that I desperately need." Sasuke says as he walks into the District.

Collapsed buildings were everywhere. It looked as though nature had tried to reclaim the place. The grass and weeds in some places were up to his knees. Sasuke was certain that the tall grass was likely hiding a host of snakes and other wildlife.

That didn't bother him though. He was used to traveling, especially in the woods. He certainly wasn't the type to go running at the sight of a few mice, snakes, or other furry critters.

"I'm home." He whispers, after opening the door of his house.

To say the least, it was an unsettling feeling to be back. In a way, he had come full circle. Once, he had been an innocent child and had said those very words at this very spot. Now, he was a man and far from innocent. The words hadn't changed though.

Why he announced his return, he wasn't entirely certain. No one else was here. On second thought, he knew why. It was foolish, but some small part of him half hoped that the District was really haunted. Maybe his family could still hear him.

"Itachi was right. I really am his foolish little brother." He mutters as he heads inside.

* * *

A few minutes later, he finds his bedroom and lays down. It didn't take him long to fall asleep. He was home. Sasuke would have to deal with the consequences of that in the morning. For now, he just desperately needed some sleep.

The morning came all too soon. Sasuke was awoken by a knock on his door. Frowning, he gets up and goes to answer it.

"Good morning." Kurenai says, after he opens the door.

Sasuke blinks. What was Kurenai doing here? Then he mentally smacks himself for that question. Kakashi must have assigned her to help with the rebuilding.

That's when he noticed she wasn't alone. There was a small child with her. She was probably around two and she had Kurenai's eyes. Her daughter.

"Good morning. Kakashi sent you to help me with reconstruction?" Sasuke asks.

"Mhm. I hope you don't mind. It's just easier if I live with you. If it bothers you, I'll just go back to my home and travel back and forth. Mirai would be staying, if I do though. She's my daughter." She explains.

Kurenai wanted to live with him. Not only that, she wanted her young child to live with them. Sasuke blinks. He didn't know what he had been expecting when Kakashi said that he'd send someone to help him with reconstruction, but this wasn't it.

"I know she's your daughter. Anyone could tell that just be looking at her. She has your eyes. That's fine. My house might be the only one standing, but there's more than enough room for the three of us." Sasuke says.

"Thank you." Kurenai says with a smile.

"Hi!" Mirai says brightly at Sasuke as she toddles over to get a closer look at this new person.

Sasuke blinks. He was used to people looking at him with fear, anger, or maybe awe. Mirai was looking at him with what he could only describe as a joyful curiosity.

Had he ever been THAT innocent? Maybe he had. Once upon a time, before that horrible night. He might have been like her.

"Come on, Mirai. Let's help you and your mother get settled in. You're going to be staying here for awhile." Sasuke tells her.

"Pick room?" She asks innocently and Sasuke nods.

That was all he needed to say. Mirai scrambles off at a surprisingly fast pace for a two year old. Sasuke blinks. That kid might actually be faster than Lee.

"I know. She's fast." Kurenai observes in amusement.

"Very. Probably a Taijutsu Specialist in the making." Sasuke observes.

"Maybe. I guess we'll see. You really don't mind us staying with you?" The ruby eyed woman inquires.

Sasuke shakes his head. He didn't expect that he'd be sharing his home with a young mother and a child this soon, but he didn't mind. It was actually something of a relief not to be alone.

Kurenai was the closest thing to a neutral party that existed in this village. His actions hadn't directly impacted her. His decisions hadn't cut her the way they had his teammates or even the other Rookies. He didn't feel as guilty around her as he did the others.

"Doesn't bother me." Sasuke assures her.

He didn't have any experience with small children. Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan one day though. So he figured in a way this could be considered practice. Thus he didn't have an issue with Mirai being there either.

"Good. Well I'm going to go make sure that Mirai hasn't destroyed your home yet. The Terrible Twos are not just a myth." The Genjutsu Mistress warns Sasuke as she heads off to find her daughter.

Sasuke shakes his head and takes a moment to admire the view. The last Uchiha hadn't thought about women much before. Rarely, did he spare anyone a first glance. Let alone a second glance.

Kurenai was different though. He had always considered the other ninja in a different league than most of the women in the Leaf Village. She was sane and intelligent. She was also a competent ninja. That and she was beautiful.

"Good to know." He calls out as Kurenai ducks into one of the rooms.

Most people would have said that he had a crush on her when he was a Genin. Sasuke wouldn't say that though. He just had a healthy appreciation for her beauty and skills. That was all.

He figured most people felt an attraction towards at least one of their teachers at some point or another. She hadn't even been his Sensei. It wasn't like he was ever going to actually act on it. It was harmless.

"I promised the loser that I would have ramen with him in the morning. I'll be back in a couple hours. Make yourselves comfortable." Sasuke says as he peeks into one of the rooms.

"Alright." Kurenai says with a smile.

* * *

Sasuke nods and heads off. Well if he had to have a "babysitter" Kurenai was a good choice. He could live with this. With that thought in mind, he continues on his journey towards the ramen shop.

Not surprisingly, Naruto was already there. Honestly, Sasuke didn't get what the blonde's fascination towards cheap noodles was. Whatever. It was probably a good idea to be seen out and about.

"Hey, Bastard!" Naruto says cheerfully.

"Hey, Loser." Sasuke says with a small smile.

To Naruto, apparently none of the horrors of the past few years had actually happened. When Sasuke was with the other ninja, he could almost pretend that he was still a Genin. He could almost delude himself into thinking that he had never left the Leaf. He could pretend that Itachi was still alive and that he hadn't done so many horrible things.

Unfortunately, the illusion never lasted long. Sooner or later, someone would give him a dirty look or someone would start whispering about him. That's when he would be snapped back into reality.

"So how was your first night back?" Naruto asks as he orders them some ramen.

"It was alright. I got a bit of a surprise this morning though. Apparently, Kurenai is going to help me with reconstruction and she brought her daughter along." Sasuke explains.

Naruto blinks. He hadn't seen that one coming. Still that was probably a good thing. Maybe having a baby around him would help Sasuke chill out.

Sasuke could be a bastard, but Naruto figured that he had a soft spot for kids. After all, the guy was obsessed with restoring his Clan. He had to like kids, right?

"Well that's cool. Kurenai Sensei is pretty awesome! Didn't realize she knew much about construction though." He muses.

"Me neither, but she's a Jonin. I'm sure she can figure out how to read blueprint and how to use a hammer." The last Uchiha reasons.

"Yeah. Good point. Anyway, there's so much that you have to catch up on. Ino and Sai are dating now!" Naruto says.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers this. That was mildly interesting. He half expected Ino would end up killing the eccentric artist though. Thanks to his ROOT training, the man knew nothing about social norms and Ino struck him as a very high-maintenance woman. That might not end well.

"How does that even work?" Sasuke asks.

"I'm not sure. I guess it does though. They've been going out for a few months now. Sai has really made a lot of progress on acting more normal. He still has the creepiest smile though!" Naruto exclaims and Sasuke just laughs.

The last Uchiha nods. He couldn't disagree with that. That was one creepy smile.

* * *

Back at the Uchiha District, Kurenai was unpacking. She smiles as she watches Mirai explore the house. She made sure to keep a close eyed on her though. Two year olds had a knack for getting into trouble, she muses.

She still couldn't believe that she was actually living with Sasuke Uchiha. Honestly, it surprised her that he was so willing to share his home with her. More than that though, the last Uchiha didn't seem to mind that she had brought Mirai along with her.

"That was certainly unexpected." She observes.

"Mommy! Picture!" Mirai says excitedly as she scrambles back to her mother and presents her with an old photo.

It was clearly a family portrait. Sasuke, Itachi, Mikoto, and Fugaku were in it. Sasuke must have been about five in the photo. He certainly favored his mother in looks, the Genjutsu Mistress thinks to herself.

He had been such a cute kid. It was hard to believe that innocent looking child with those adorable bubble eyes had grown up to be one of the most feared ninjas on the planet. What a difference a little over a decade could make.

"Who they?" Mirai asks innocently.

"Sasuke's family. Where did you find this? We should put it back. It might upset him, if he notices that it's missing." Kurenai explains to her daughter.

The two year old smiles and grabs Kurenai's hand. She swiftly leads her mother to one of the stands in the living room and has her place the portrait on the top. Well that was surprisingly easy.

"It back now." Mirai says proudly and the Leaf Ninja nods approvingly.

That was a relief. She didn't want to know what Sasuke might have done, if he found out his family portrait was missing. She couldn't blame him entirely for that part though. She was still extremely possessive of anything that she had that once belonged to Asuma. Grieving was hard.

"Good girl. Why don't we go to the kitchen and see if we can't make anything for dinner?" She asks and Mirai nods.

"Okay!" She says brightly and follows her mother into the ktichen.

Kakashi was right. Sasuke was likely suffering from PTSD. The man could certainly benefit from a normal bond. That and her mother had always said that the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach.

Hopefully, Sasuke would prove no exception. Naturally, her mother had a less innocent intention behind that old saying. Kurenai was just aiming for friendship.

"Do we have any tomatoes?" She asks.

Kakashi had told her that Sasuke liked them. It was generally the little things that made people the most happy. Kurenai imagined that it had been a long time since Sasuke had had a home cooked meal, prepared by someone who wasn't trying to poison him.

"Yes!" Mirai says as she tosses the tomatoes at her mother.

Kurenai sighs when one of them splatters all over her. She was going to have to change later. Oh well. That was just part of life when you had a two year old. It was just impossible to stay clean.


	2. Opening Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke begins to open up to Kurenai and bond with Mirai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kurenai sighs as she quickly finishes dinner. There was no point in changing until she was done. Mirai was clearly at Kage Level when it came to making a mess.

"Done! Done!" Mirai says excitedly, positively beaming with pride at "her" accomplishment.

"Mhm. Alright. Let's get me into something that isn't covered in tomatoes before Sasuke comes back. He'd likely have a good laugh, if he saw me like this." She notes in amusement as she opens her suitcase and begins examining its contents for something suitable to wear.

She sighs and slides out of her shirt and pants. Kurenai swiftly slips into a pair of pants that wasn't covered in the remains of a tomato. The Genjutsu Mistress then proceeds to look for a shirt to change into while she watches Mirai.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Kurenai, Sasuke had just returned to the Uchiha District. He heads into his house and tilts his head to the side. He could smell something in the kitchen. Something that smelled much more satisfying than the quick meal he had just finished at the Ramen Shop.

Naturally, he decides to investigate. The last Uchiha heads towards the kitchen and blinks at what he saw. To put it mildly, he got an eyeful.

"Thank you, Kakashi." He whispers to himself.

**Warning Kitchen Scene**

Kurenai's back was towards him. He doubted she knew that he was there. Actually, he was positive that Kurenai hadn't realized that he was back.

If she had, she definitely wouldn't be bent over her suitcase with her back towards him. The young mother certainly would have tossed on some kind of a shirt quicker. He also knew for damn sure, she wouldn't have let him see her half dressed.

She was wearing a purple satin bra. A color that certainly flattered her creamy skin. The way the fabric caressed her ample breasts was particularly memorizing. That wasn't all though.

Kurenai was a ninja. Ninjas tended to lose baby weight rather quickly and even if they hadn't, Mirai was two. So he probably should have expected the toned torso that was on full display to his eyes. Oh and those womanly curves that fanned out into wide hips. Those were nice too.

**End Kitchen Scene**

"It was an accident, but she probably wouldn't see it that way." Sasuke murmurs as he darts as far away from the kitchen as possible and out of the house.

He definitely wasn't going to let the gorgeous ninja know that he had accidentally got an eyeful. It wasn't like he had been TRYING to catch her in her lingerie. It had just happened!

"Better make a show of it." He says with a sigh as he loudly knocks on the door and proceeds to reenter his house.

It was a good thing that Kurenai had been so focused on her clothing and Mirai, he muses to himself. He doubted that there were very many other times where her guard would have been down that much. A Jonin was always aware of their environment. She likely would have realized he was nearby at any other time.

* * *

Hearing the knock on the door, Kurenai stiffens. The ruby eyed woman hastily tosses on a white undershirt and her Jonin vest. The last thing that she wanted to do was to give Sasuke a show.

"That was a close one." She tells Mirai, who just giggles in response.

"Sasuke! We're in the kitchen." Kurenai calls out.

He didn't give a verbal acknowledgement, but Kurenai soon hears his footsteps heading towards them. She smiles when she sees him. It'd probably be helpful, if he knew that she was happy to see him.

Kakashi was likely right about the dirty looks and whispers. After awhile, that would wear on anyone. Sasuke just wasn't the type to ever admit that though. That was fine. She could read between the lines.

"I'm back. Naruto is Naruto." Sasuke says as casually as possible.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement. That was apparently Sasuke's version of telling someone about his "day." She supposed the fact that he was attempting to have a civil conversation was a good sign.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asks.

"For the Ramen Shop? It's a damn good thing. I think that Naruto could probably keep them in business all by himself. For me, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes he's really annoying. If it wasn't for him though, this village would probably have been reduced to rubble or I'd be Hokage already." He says.

The Jonin blinks. She wasn't sure how to take that. Half of it was casual and the other half was rather profound. The Genjutsu Mistress pauses as she tries to formulate an appropriate response.

"You're likely right about the Ramen Shop. Do you think that last part is a good thing though? All of it?" Kurenai asks with a whisper.

It was important to know if Sasuke still wanted to be Hokage. No one could doubt that he was certainly strong and intelligent enough for the position. It was his people skills and his temper that made him unfit for the role.

"Most of the Leaf Village had no idea what was really going on in the shadows. It was foolish to blame the rank and file villagers for what happened to my family and Itachi. I'm glad that Naruto stopped me from destroying the Leaf. He stopped me from destroying Itachi's legacy and I think that we both know that I wouldn't have made a good Hokage." Sasuke says.

Kurenai was torn. Sasuke was opening up. She wasn't sure why that was the case, but the Leaf Ninja knew that this wouldn't last. At some point, Sasuke was going to feel like he had shared too much and he'd shut himself off again.

She was tempted to try to coax him into talking more, but he had said Itachi's name. Kurenai wasn't stupid. She knew that was the point of no return. Nothing would make him close off faster than by asking him about his brother.

"You certainly have some important qualifications to be Hokage. You're strong and you're smart. It's just that there is more to it than that." She says, deciding it was best to steer the topic away from Itachi as swiftly as possible.

"I guess that's true. You didn't have to cook for me though." Sasuke says.

He didn't know why he had told her all that. It had been stupid. He blamed it on the fact that he had gotten an eyeful that he wasn't supposed to. He was pathetic.

Sasuke had just realized that an attractive woman would make him babble like Naruto. That was just unacceptable. He had always thought himself above such things. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"I wanted to. Besides, it's for all three of us. That and I'm not entirely certain I want to know what your diet has been like these past few years." She tells him with a smile.

"Did you really just lecture me on my diet?" Sasuke asks incredulously.

He wasn't angry. Sasuke was just in disbelief that she would say something like that. It reminded him of his mother reminding him to eat his vegetables or something.

"Sorry. Habit. I'm a mother." Kurenai says with a quiet laugh.

"Well my diet hasn't been nearly as bad as Naruto's, but I've had to make due." He admits.

He couldn't remember the last time that actually had a meal that was prepared quickly. Sasuke had never really been all that worried about how his food tasted. He just needed the nutritional value.

"You two are worse than Kakashi and Guy. Always competing over everything, even food." The ruby eyed woman notes in amusement.

"Sorry. Habit." He says smugly and Kurenai laughs.

"Well it's good to see your sense of humor is intact." She observes as she gestures towards the food.

Sasuke blinks. Steak, tomato salad, and pie. He hadn't had pie since he was like five. Though the tomato salad did explain what happened to her previous shirt.

He could see that it was discarded on the floor and there was a large red stain on it. She must have dropped it. That or Mirai must have decided she wanted to participate in a food fight of sorts.

"This looks amazing." He says as he sits down and eats with her.

Their meal passed mostly without incident. Well other than Mirai occasionally trying to put something in her mouth that didn't belong there. At one point, she seemed to have decided that a spoon was actually food. Thankfully, Kurenai was able to explain that you eat WITH the spoon, but not the actual spoon.

"So what happened to the rest of Taka?" Kurenai asks conversationally.

"They went back to the Sound. I don't completely understand it either. I guess it's just what they know though." Sasuke says with a shrug.

He had grown closer to his teammates, Jugo in particular. If they were in trouble on the battlefield, he'd help them. Sasuke wasn't about to cry about their absence though.

"Ah I see. Well I hope they are happy there." She says.

"Karin will likely be happy as long as she's not turned into a human chew toy anymore. All it takes for Suigetsu to be happy is some swords. Jugo is the one I have the most concerns about. He's prone to blacking out and going into violent rages. My being around him, helps with that. He seems to have stabilized now though." Sasuke explains.

In a twisted way, it had been nice to travel with the three of them. He was needed. Sasuke was needed to keep Suigetsu and Karin from killing each other. He was also needed to help keep Jugo sane.

That fact still amazed him to no end. The last Uchiha had barely held onto his sanity and somehow, he was actually able to help someone else. He wished the three of them the best and had plans to occasionally visit them, but they just belonged in different worlds. It was really that simple.

"Well that all sounds promising." Kurenai says and Sasuke nods.

He wasn't a complete idiot. Sasuke knew that she was here because Kakashi asked her to be. It wouldn't have been surprising, if Kakashi asked her to be nice to him.

Sasuke didn't mind though. Not really. He wasn't going to tell her anything that he didn't want her to know. That and thanks to Kakashi, the District felt a little less like a cemetery. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have a reason to protest the arrangement.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto headed off to see Sakura. He had just finished lunch with Sasuke and wanted to check on his other teammate. It was better to tell her that Sasuke was back, before she found out about it.

He knew her. She'd be hurt and angry, if Naruto didn't tell her. The blonde could only hope that she didn't actually expect Sasuke to seek her out. He was such an antisocial bastard. Sakura had to know that by now, right?

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto says cheerfully as he sees her coming down the hall.

Sakura blinks and smiles when she sees Naruto. The medic quickly makes her way over to him. It didn't look like the blonde was hurt. So this had to be a social visit.

"Hey, Naruto!" The pinkette says.

"Look, I wanted to let you know that Sasuke is back. He's back in his District. He's probably going to be pretty busy for awhile. He'll want to rebuild it. Kakashi sent someone to help him with it. I wouldn't take it personally, if he doesn't wanna hang out or whatever. Putting together the pieces of that place isn't going to be easy." Naruto informs her.

Sakura blinks. Sasuke was back and he didn't tell her? That hurt. That hurt a lot. Sadly, she supposed that she shouldn't be surprised.

Sasuke had always been focused more on Itachi and Naruto than anyone else. At nineteen, she knew the truth. She was at best an afterthought to him.

"That's great news! Wait. Who did he send to help Sasuke? Why wouldn't he just have us help him? I mean you can make a lot of shadow clones and I'm really strong. That and we are teammates!" She demands.

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He had wondered the same thing himself, but he hadn't asked about it. The Jinchuuriki was just so happy to have his friend back in the village, that he didn't really care who helped him reconstruct his District. The important thing was that he was back.

"I'm not sure really. I guess we can ask Kakashi Sensei about it. Sasuke said that Kurenai Sensei was the one who was going to help him." He tells her.

The medic blinks and tilts her head in surprise at that answer. Kurenai? She definitely hadn't expected that. Most likely because the woman had a young child with her. Well then again, she could probably have Hinata, Kiba, or Shino watch Mirai while she helped Sasuke.

"Kurenai Sensei? That's an interesting choice. Though I guess it makes sense. She's probably one of the least hostile people towards him in the village at the moment." She says, after thinking about it.

Sakura couldn't lie though. She was really curious why Kakashi would pick the Genjutsu Mistress? It would have made much more sense to have her and Naruto help Sasuke out.

They were his teammates. They knew him best. The two of them also cared about Sasuke the most. Kurenai was a neutral party, but she didn't know him the way that Team Seven did.

"Yeah. Sasuke didn't seem to mind though." Naruto says cheerfully.

That caught Sakura's attention more than anything else really. Sasuke was by his nature a loner. He tended to push away anyone that tried to get close to him.

He COULD work on a team, if he had to as evidenced by Team Seven and Taka. When given a choice though, it was clear that the last Uchiha was an introvert.

She wasn't entirely certain if that was just his natural personality or the result of his environment. After the Massacre, he was probably afraid to get close to other people again. Maybe the habit had stuck, even after the truth came out.

"Let's go ask Kakashi Sensei about this. I'm really curious." She admits.

"Right! Yeah! I'm sure there is a good reason." The blonde agrees and Sakura heads off to tell Tsunade that she was taking the rest of the day off, before they leave to find Kakashi and get some answers.

* * *

Back in the Uchiha District, they had just finished their meal. Kurenai could only stare in shock at the strange sight that was unfolding before her. Sasuke Uchiha was doing dishes!

"Why are you staring at me like that?" The raven haired man replies a bit warily.

"Well it's just that I never pictured you doing dishes." She says.

"You cooked. It's only fair." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Mirai was happily oblivious to how out of the ordinary this all seemed to her mother. Like most two year olds, she soon found a way to entertain herself. In this case, that meant she had somehow climbed onto the kitchen counter and was splashing her hand in the bubbles.

"Bubbles!" She cries out happily.

"Yes, lots of bubbles." Sasuke says as he watches the rather cheerful being that had somehow made herself at home on his kitchen counter.

Kurenai couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Sasuke was staring at Mirai like she was an alien or some otherworldly creature. Well at least he didn't mind her daughter staying with them.

She had been worried about that. Clearly, Sasuke didn't seem to have much experience around small children. He wasn't opposed to them on principle though. He had complimented Mirai's speed, after all. That and he didn't seem to mind her "helping" him with the dishes.

"Which rooms should we take?" Kurenai asks.

"Any you like." Sasuke says as he bites back a sigh.

It didn't matter where they slept. He highly doubted his parents or Itachi would care if they used their rooms. He had to find a way to move on. He shouldn't treat their rooms like crypts.

He knew that in his head. His heart was another matter though. Sasuke knew that he had to push through this. If he was ever going to heal, a bit part of that was focusing on the present instead of just the past.

"Ice cream?" Mirai asks hopefully.

"We don't have any ice cream. I suppose I could always pick some up though. What flavor do you like?" Sasuke asks.

He might never be able to atone for sins fully, but apparently it was rather easy to make toddlers happy. That was a start. One step at a time.

"Berry!" She says excitedly.

"I'm going to guess that's code for strawberry." Sasuke observes in amusement.

She was quite articulate for a two year old. It seemed that the word strawberry might be a bit too much for her at the moment though. Oh well. She still made herself understood.

"Careful. If she had her way, she'd probably eat her weight in strawberry ice cream." Kurenai says.

"If the loser hasn't turned into ramen by now, I think it's safe to give her the ice cream. That's if you think it's safe." Sasuke says.

Mirai was Kurenai's daughter. She wasn't his. He didn't know much about children and parenting, but he knew that some mothers could be very protective and picky when it came to what their children ate. His own mother wouldn't allow him to touch any cookies until after they had dinner. Not that that had stopped him from trying though.

_"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Itachi asked with a raised eyebrow._

_The youngest Uchiha had been slowly creeping towards the kitchen. He was being as quiet as possible. Sasuke had even masked his chakra._

_Everything had been going perfectly, until Itachi caught him. Did his brother have eyes in the back of his head or something? He never got away with anything!_

_"Nothing." He lies quickly._

_"You're trying to steal cookies from the cookie jar, aren't you?" Itachi demands._

_Sasuke sighs and lowers his head in shame. He couldn't help it. The cookies smelled good._

_"Well I shouldn't tolerate such behavior, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to reward you. You did get good marks at the Academy this time around." Itachi said as he walked into the kitchen and reached into the highest cupboard where the cookies were "hidden."_

_"Yay!" Sasuke said happily._

_"Itachi! I told him not to have any cookies until after dinner!" Mikoto grumbled and both boys froze._

_Itachi was a ninja prodigy. Sasuke could now spit fire, but boys were equally terrified of an angry Mikoto Uchiha. Mothers must have some sort of Jutsu that Sasuke didn't know about yet. They could all become rather scary when they caught you trying to steal cookies!_

"It's okay, if she has some ice cream." Kurenai says.

* * *

At that same moment, Naruto and Sakura had made their way to Kakashi's office. One way or another, they were going to get to the bottom of this. There had to be a good reason why the silver haired ninja had chosen Kurenai instead of them!

"Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto calls out and Sakura winces.

Naruto was her friend and she loved him dearly. That didn't change certain facts about him though. Like the fact that he had all the subtlety of a bull in a China Shop!

"Ah. Come in, Naruto. I was just finishing up some paperwork." Kakashi says from behind the door.

That was all the prompting that his former students needed. Sakura and Naruto swiftly head inside his office. Sakura had to admit that she was impressed. Kakashi was actually doing real Kage work. (For once.)

"Hello, Sakura." Kakashi says with a smile.

He had heard Naruto, but not Sakura. Perhaps he should have expected this really though. It was likely that the blonde had told his female teammate that Sasuke had returned. She would understandably want answers.

"Kakashi Sensei, what is going on with Sasuke? Why did you send Kurenai to help him? Why didn't you send us?" She asks.

Kakashi sighs. He had been afraid of this conversation, but he was realistic enough to know that it was inevitable.

"He's come back to the village and is going to live in the Uchiha District. I chose Kurenai because she's a neutral party. The two of you know him too well. He'd censor himself around the two of you. Sometimes it's easier to speak with someone that you barely know than your best friends. There is less judgment that way. That and she's an experienced ninja. She knows how to handle potentially volatile situations." The Hokage explains.

Sakura sighs. It didn't make her happy to know that she couldn't help in this situation, but she could see Kakashi's logic. There was a very good reason why he was Hokage now. He had earned it.

"I guess that makes sense. I can't lie. You had good reasons for choosing her, but it still hurts. We're his teammates. We should have been the ones to help him rebuild the Uchiha District." She mutters.

"Yeah. It does kinda hurt. Kakashi Sensei is probably right though. I mean the only way that I can get him to listen to me is by fighting him." Naruto says with a sigh.

Maybe Kurenai could help him. After all, that woman had three very different personalities on her team. Hinata who was kind and shy. Kiba who was loud and boisterous. Oh and who could forget the insect lover?

The one who never talked? Hmm. For some reason, Naruto was having trouble remembering his name.

Anyway, the point was that she was really good at handling people with different personalities. Maybe she'd find a way to get through to the antisocial bastard! Naruto nods at his internal musing as if to confirm them.

"Good. I'm glad that the two of you agree. Sasuke just needs some time. I think that his traveling likely helped him a great deal. This isn't going to be an easy transition though. There are many people inside this village that aren't exactly fond of him and you both know what his temper is like." The CopyCat Ninja warns them.

Naruto and Sakura gulp. Kakashi was right to be worried. Sasuke wasn't exactly known for coping with his anger in a healthy way.

"Maybe, I should go and talk to the bastard. Sakura, you wanna come with me?" Naruto asks brightly.

"Sure." Sakura says with a smile as she follows her friend off to the Uchiha District.

"Alright. Try to leave the village in one piece though." Kakashi says as he watches his students walk off with a sigh.

She had never been there before and Sakura was rather curious to see where Sasuke had grown up. What she found when she got there shocked her to the core though. To say the least, it wasn't at all what she had expected.


	3. A Beautiful Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Kurenai continue to grow closer as Sakura and Naruto stop by for a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

"Sasuke actually lived here for years?" Sakura whispers in horror.

"Well yeah, but that was before it was reduced to rubble during the attacks. Obviously, it looked better before he left for the Sound Village." Naruto whispers back.

He felt like he had to whisper. It was like they were in some kind of graveyard. Honestly, he was afraid of waking the dead. If ghosts existed, they would likely be crawling all over this place.

"I guess so. This is going to take a lot of work to clean up though." The medic replies anxiously.

The Uchiha District had been leveled. There was only one building that was still standing. The silver lining in the destruction was that it was very easy to tell which house was Sasuke's. The only one left standing.

"That's Sasuke's house." Naruto says brightly as he takes Sakura by the hand and drags her off towards the building.

Sakura shivers at Naruto's cheerful declaration. She had known Naruto for years. She knew when he was actually happy and when he was faking it. The blonde was pretending. He was pretending for her sake.

It was a sweet gesture, but that just made her feel even worse. Obviously, her shock must have been showing on her face. Naruto had noticed and was attempting to comfort her.

"How could you tell?" She asks with a forced laugh.

That was a bad sign. If Naruto knew that she was uncomfortable, Sasuke definitely would. The last Uchiha likely wouldn't respond well to what he perceived as pity. This could get ugly and quickly.

She was going to have to put her acting skills to the test. Sakura was not going to let their former teammate know how upsetting she found the state of his District. Time to put her game face on!

"Naruto, do you smell pie?" Sakura asks once they were standing outside of Sasuke's house.

Naruto tilts his head as he sniffs the air. Yeah. He definitely smelled pie. That was weird. He couldn't imagine that Sasuke was much of a baker.

"Yeah. I do. Maybe Kurenai made it." The blonde reasons as he knocks on the door.

It didn't take long for someone to answer the door. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was Kurenai. Sasuke probably wouldn't care enough to answer, Naruto thinks to himself.

"Hi, Kurenai Sensei!" Sakura greets her.

"Oh. Hello, Sakura. Hello, Naruto. What brings you here?" The Genjutsu Mistress asks.

"Well Kakashi Sensei told us that you were going to be helping Sasuke with rebuilding his District and stuff. So we figured that we'd come and say hi. We could lend you guys a hand or a hundred, if you like." Naruto says with a wink as he forms a clone as if to illustrate his point.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement. Sasuke was right about one thing. Naruto was Naruto.

"Well I think that a hundred more hands would be really useful. As you can see, it's going to take awhile to fully restore the District. That's not my call to make, though. You'll have to ask Sasuke. We just finished dinner. If you're hungry, there is a bit of pie left over. Help yourselves." The ruby eyed woman says.

"That sounds great and you were totally right about the pie, Sakura!" Naruto says excitedly as he walks into the house.

Sakura quickly follows Naruto inside. She really didn't want to be standing outside without anyone by her. She had never believed in ghosts before, but there was a first time for everything.

That's when she heard giggling? Curious, she follows the source of the giggling until she ends up in the kitchen. What she saw was what truly shocked her to the core.

"Pretty fire!" Mirai says as she giggles and watches the flame figures dance a few feet above her head.

Really, it was even more surreal than seeing the remains of the Uchiha District. Sasuke was apparently entertaining a toddler with his version of fireworks. Well minus the loud noises.

Sasuke nods in agreement. Mirai hadn't been too happy when her mother walked off. So he had used a minor Fire Jutsu to make some shapes out of fire above her head.

"Very." Sasuke agrees and he doesn't even turn around as he flings a kunai behind him, sending it flying straight at Sakura.

The Kunai pinned her against the wall by her sleeve. Before she could yank herself free, Sasuke corners her against the wall. It was always a bad idea to sneak up on a ninja, Sakura remembers a bit too late.

"Sakura?" He asks incredulously.

The fire figures were little more than advanced shadow puppets. He deliberately kept them out of reach of the young child, but close enough that she could see. The last thing that he needed was for Kurenai to think that he was endangering her two year old.

Maybe that was why he reacted so swiftly and brutally towards someone sneaking up on him. He mentally rolls his eyes at that thought. Sasuke didn't even believe that justification himself and he was the one who conjured it up out of thin air.

"Hi, Sasuke. Um sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that." His former teammate says sheepishly.

He would have reacted that way to anyone. Sasuke was now acquainted with the sound of Kurenai's footsteps. When he heard someone come into the kitchen, he knew that it wasn't her and thus he had acted.

"You realize that coming into my home without my permission is breaking and entering, right?" Sasuke asks dryly.

Sakura winces. With Sasuke, it was hard to tell if he was joking or not. She decides to operate under the assumption that he wasn't though.

"Sorry. We just stopped by to see if you guys wanted any help with the repairs." She mumbles.

"Bastard! Don't be such a grouch to Sakura!" Naruto says as he bounds into the kitchen after his friend.

Kurenai shakes her head as she watches the former teammates reunite. This was either going to be extremely comical or ugly. She wasn't sure which.

The Genjjutsu Mistress decides to air on the side of caution though. With that in mind, Kurenai quickly grabs Mirai in her arms and watches the other three ninjas. Who knew what was going to happen now.

"I'm the bastard? You two are the ones that just showed up unannounced!" Sasuke snaps at Naruto.

"They're just play fighting." Kurenai explains to her daughter.

Mirai was starting to get a little worried. She didn't like all the loud noises. One minute, she had been staring at the pretty fire and the next two new people had come in and made the Fire Man very angry.

Her mother said it was play fighting though. Maybe things were okay. Big people could be very confusing sometimes!

"Sasuke, we really shouldn't fight with Mirai watching." Sakura points out.

Sasuke twitches. Everything had been going just fine until his teammates had shown up. He knew that Sakura and Naruto meant well. He really did, but that didn't change the fact that they could be really annoying sometimes.

"Yeah! We really shouldn't fight in front of the kid." Naruto agrees.

He didn't want to deal with the outside world again. Sasuke had just spent a couple years traveling far and wide. It didn't matter how far he went, he was now infamous.

Sasuke Uchiha couldn't outrun his past. People would always look at him in one of four ways. Fear, anger, awe, or lust. Occasionally, he'd get people who could look at him with all four emotions at once. (Those were the ones that he really had to watch out for because they tended to be psychotic.)

"We wouldn't be fighting, if you had let us know that you were coming beforehand!" Sasuke grumbles.

That wasn't the case with Kurenai and Mirai though. It had been nice to have company that didn't look at him like he was a bomb that was about to go off. A break from the reality of who he was.

Unfortunately, reality had a way of coming crashing down on a person. That was why Sakura's and Naruto's arrival had really irked him. It had snapped him out of his fantasy, before he was ready to deal with reality again.

"Alright. Alright. We should have let you know, but you're really antisocial. If we had asked, you would have said no!" Naruto points out.

Sasuke groans. He looks at Kurenai helplessly and the Jonin does her best not to laugh. The last Uchiha looked like a lost puppy.

"You still should have asked. This is Sasuke's home, Naruto." She chides him gently.

"We know that it's Sasuke's home. Naruto and I just want to help him restore it, faster." Sakura replies.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement. She was beginning to understand why Sasuke was "antisocial." He was clearly an introvert and his teammates were extraverts.

Their more social nature clashed horribly with his more elusive one. Sasuke was apparently perfectly capable of carrying on a conversation and socializing, when he wanted to. It was just that he seemed to prefer doing so in small doses.

"Sasuke? It's your decision whether you want their help or not. This is your property." She says.

"I think that we're fine on our own. If we need the extra help, I'll let the two of you know. You can take the rest of the pie, if you want." Sasuke says.

Hopefully, they'd take the food and leave. It was a bribe. Sasuke was almost certain that Sakura would see that, but he didn't care.

He wanted to go back to his illusion. Sasuke wanted to pretend to himself for a little while longer, that he was a normal person. He couldn't do that with them here.

"Alright. Well that's really nice of you guy. You sure that you don't want it though? And let us know. Seriously, you don't have to be so stubborn. It's okay to ask for help." Naruto says.

"I'm sure and I'll ask for the help, if I need it. Right now, I don't need it." He states firmly.

Sakura sighs. If they pushed much harder, Sasuke would just try to avoid them more. That and she had seen something incredible.

Sasuke had been playing with a toddler. For about a minute, he looked like his old self. She had seen just a glimpse of the boy that he had been before the Massacre.

"Naruto, let's let them get to it. Besides, I could use an extra pair of hands at the hospital. It's inventory time and your shadow clones could be really useful!" She says.

"Alright! Yeah, I can totally help with that. It's just counting stuff and moving stuff, right?" He asks and Sakura nods her head.

With that, the teammates bid farewell to their friends and head off. Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief, once they were gone. He didn't even bother to hide it.

"They mean well." Kurenai says as she places a hand on his shoulder.

"I know that." Sasuke concedes and the Genjutsu Mistress nods approvingly.

Well at least he knew that his teammates were just trying to help him. Unfortunately, she got the impression that their efforts might be doing more harm than good. Either way, she was going to continue with her ""mission" as planned.

* * *

Meanwhile Kakashi was pretending to do paperwork. In reality, he was reading one of Jirayia's final novels. He just hoped that Shizune didn't become aware of that fact.

"Kenshin is finally going to tell Keiko how he feels!" Kakashi muses as he turns another page.

Oh this was definitely one of Jiraiya's best works. Truly, it was an inspiration. He sighs as he remembers his mentor and flips another page. While Jiraiya had lived much longer than most ninjas, his death was still extremely tragic.

The world had been robbed of an excellent author, ninja, and friend. That was one of the reasons, why Kakashi was "honoring" his memory by reading all of his greatest works cover to cover as many times as possible. It was his tribute.

"Kakashi, are you reading those books again?! You really have to finish these forms. You can't put them off any longer!" Shizune scolds him.

Shizune was only trying to help him be a good Hokage. Kakashi knew that. He had never wanted to be Hokage though and you only lived once. Did he really have to spend half his time doing paperwork?

"Naruto has absolutely no idea what he is getting himself into." He chuckles.

Shizune raises an eyebrow. Maybe Kakashi had actually been working too hard and she didn't realize it. What did Naruto have to do with paperwork?!

"Kakashi, maybe you should take the day off. What are you talking about Naruto for? What doesn't he know what he's getting himself into? Is he hurt? Is he in some kind of trouble?" She asks anxiously.

"No. He's fine. Don't worry so much. I only mean that he doesn't know what it's really like to be Hokage. He wouldn't do well with the more mundane aspects of this job." The silver haired ninja clarifies.

Shizune tilts her head to the side as she considers that. The brunette couldn't help but chuckle in response, once she had mulled it over. The Sixth Hokage was certainly right about that much.

"That's true. Though at the moment, you are setting a rather poor example for your student." His assistant reminds him.

"Alright. Alright. I'll get started on the paperwork. I promise." He assures her and Shizune nods smugly, before darting off.

Kakashi sighs and places a bookmark inside his novel. Keiko and Kenshin would have to wait for awhile longer, it seemed. He had work to do.

Well hopefully, Kurenai was having better luck with her new "student" than he was with his damn paperwork. The CopyCat Ninja suspected that she was though. While he knew that it was wrong to meddle, Kakashi had done so anyway and he was certain his meddling would pay off.

"After all, Sasuke hasn't shown any interest in women his age. He highly values family and Kurenai already has a daughter. That sort of thing would likely appeal to him. That and she is a looker." He chuckles.

He hadn't lied to Kurenai when he gave her this mission. Kakashi just hadn't told her all of his reasons for assigning her to the case. If he had, the Hokage was certain that she never would have accepted the mission and that just would have been unacceptable.

He was almost certain that Kurenai would want to stay with Mirai there. It made more sense than going back and forth every day. If you left two young, attractive ninjas alone long enough, nature would eventually take its course.

"Well at least it sounded good in my head." He muses as he goes back to working on approving various mission reports.

* * *

Back in the Uchiha District, Kurenai decides too put Mirai to bed. She carries the toddler off into one of the spare bedrooms and tucks her in. It was amazing really. She didn't seem the least bit upset about not sleeping in her own bed.

"Goodnight, Mirai." She says as she leans over and kisses her forehead.

"Night, Mommy!" Mirai says with a yawn as she snuggles into her pillows and blankets.

Unbeknownst to Kurenai, she was being watched. She was being watched by a certain Uchiha. He didn't know whether to wince or smile at the scene.

It was an all too familiar one. He hadn't been as close to his father as his mother, but he did have some memories of Fugaku Uchiha. This was one of them.

_"I don't want to go to sleep." Sasuke said as he glanced towards his window._

_Fugaku Uchiha shook his head. Sasuke could tell that his father was somewhat exasperated by his "defiance." He just really didn't want to go to sleep with all those loud noises going on outside._

_"And why don't you want to go to sleep?" He asked._

_"The thunder is really loud. It's scary." Sasuke mumbled, feeling embarrassed at having admitted that to his father._

_"That's just a natural weather event. Unless you got caught outside and are exposed to the storm, there's nothing to worry about. Just think of the thunder claps and lightning flashes as our ancestors. They are merely training. Nothing to worry about." Fugaku assured him._

_Sasuke tilted his head. At four, he was young enough to take such a statement at face value. He didn't realize that his father was using a metaphor._

_"They're training? Like you and Itachi do sometimes?" The younger Uchiha asked._

_"Exactly. Now, get some sleep." Fugaku said as he kissed Sasuke's forehead._

_With that being said, his father got up. The Uchiha Patriarch quickly strode over to the door and shut off the light. He was gone before Sasuke could say another word. It didn't matter though. He was no longer scared of thunder and lightning._

That was when Kurenai comes out of the room and blinks when she saw Sasuke. Sasuke felt embarrassed. She had caught him watching her. The other ninja was likely going to be terrified.

"Is something wrong?" She asks.

"No. Thanks for earlier. I just wasn't in the mood to deal with them. I got enough looks of scorn and pity while I was traveling. I didn't need to see it from them." The raven haired ninja replies, trying to save his pride.

Kurenai was a kind person. She likely wouldn't mock him, if he told her the truth. If he told her that the way she acted around Mirai reminded him of his family, he doubted the Genjutsu Mistress would mock him or use it against him. It was just humiliating though.

He wasn't some stray cat or dog in search of a home. .There was no way that he was going to allow himself to portray himself in such a fashion either. No. It was better to talk about Sakura and Naruto. Those were safe topics.

"It's alright. We all need some time to ourselves, sometimes." She offers kindly.

"Yeah. I'm glad that you're here though." Sasuke says with a smile.

He mentally kicks himself for saying that. Damn it. Now he was going to have to clarify that comment. Everything that he said to this woman was likely going to be reported back to Kakashi.

If Kakashi found out that he was happy Kurenai was here, he was never going to let Sasuke live it down. He needed to think quickly. The last Uchiha needed a realistic excuse for why he had said that.

"Good. I'm glad." Kurenai says as she returns his smile with one of her own.

Oh how Sasuke HATED how his heart skipped a beat and his stomach decided to do summersaults at that smile. He was pathetic. Itachi was likely rolling in his grave, laughing at his foolish little brother.

He was responding to her like some stupid Genin with their first crush. Sasuke could only hope that she didn't notice. If she noticed, he was likely going to die from humiliation.

"It's nice to have someone to help me rebuild the District. Someone who isn't loud or annoying." He adds.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement. Well in Sasuke's World that was likely a compliment. She knew that's likely how he meant it and decided to take it that way. It was better than focusing on the subtle jabs at his teammates. Progress was progress.

"Well I do try my best not to be annoying or excessively loud. I'm afraid that I can't say the same for Mirai. She's only two. I'm certain that you understand what that means." She tells him.

"The Terrible Twos. I've heard of them. She doesn't seem to be having them though. She protested when you left, but I think that's probably normal at her age. Mirai got over it quickly though." Sasuke assures her.

"That's a relief. She's learning to be more independent. I've been worried about her. She was rather clingy after Asuma passed on. It's only natural, I suppose. She doesn't understand." Kurenai whispers.

Sasuke was far from the most empathetic individual, but he knew why Kurenai was whispering. The beautiful ninja was on the edge of tears. He sighs and wraps his arms around her.

Naruto would have said that he was hugging her, but that wasn't it. Sasuke preferred to call it embracing. Embracing carried a far more mature connotation to it. Well at least it did in Sasuke's mind.

"I'm sure that he still watches over her. Just because she can't see him, doesn't mean he's not there. Besides, she's lucky. She has you. You'll make sure that she knows who her father was." The last Uchiha murmurs.

Kurenai stares at Sasuke in shock. She couldn't believe that he was actually hugging her. More than that, Sasuke was attempting to comfort her.

"You're right and I will. It's just hard sometimes. There are days when it feels like it was only yesterday." She mumbles as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"I feel the same way. I'm not going to lie and say that it gets easier though. You just learn to live with it." Sasuke says as he wraps his arms around her tighter.

Kurenai was clearly still grieving over Asuma. His appreciation of her was nothing compared to the bond that she had with the dead ninja. That was okay though.

He wasn't actually foolish enough to believe that she would ever return his feelings. For now, he'd just enjoy actually being close to someone. Someone who was soft and warm. Someone who didn't look at him with judgmental eyes and who didn't make him want to strangle them half the time.

"Thank you" She says and Sasuke just nods.

He didn't want to risk ruining the moment. The last Uchiha doubted that he'd get another chance to hold her in this way soon. Well realistically, this was probably the only time it was going to happen.

With that in mind, Sasuke decided just to enjoy the moment. He didn't deserve it, but he was going to take it anyway. He'd be an idiot, if he didn't.

"You're welcome." The raven haired ninja says.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." Kurenai says as she subtly slips out of his arms.

"Goodnight, Kurenai." He says as he watches her walk down the hall and quietly sighs under his breath.

It had been a beautiful moment, but it was over now. He might as well deal with that fact. Kurenai was just helping him rebuild his District.

If he was lucky, they might end up friends by the end of that project. He wasn't stupid enough to expect more. That didn't mean that he was happy about that fact though.


	4. A Purple Butterfly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurenai helps Sasuke with rebuilding the Uchiha District as Team Eight gets curious and a new threat looms on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and one person's request is going to be granted in this one. To the reviewer who wanted a Kushina x Sasuke story, sorry. I don't feel that I would be very good at writing that pair. I have nothing against people who ship it, it's just not my thing.
> 
> Chapter Notation: Information on Mirai's personality seems a bit sparse. So far, all that I've really gotten is she's cheerful and energetic. So her personality may or may not be entirely canon.

The next day, Mirai blinks as she looks outside the window and saw lots of Fire Men running around. She was too young to realize they were clones. So the sight confused her.

"It's alright, Mirai. That's just Sasuke. He's using the Shadow Clone Jutsu to make copies of himself." Kurenai assures her daughter as she puts on her sandals.

"Clones?" Mirai asks in a utterly baffled voice and Kurenai nods in confirmation.

She had already contacted Shikamaru, the night before. Her husband's former student was going to watch Mirai while they worked on repairs. The Genjutsu Mistress didn't really think that it was particularly safe to drag her daughter along during reconstruction.

"Nevermind. I'll explain it later. It's still Sasuke though. It doesn't matter how many of them there are." She reassures her daughter.

Mirai frowns. She didn't really understand that, but she nods her head. The toddler trusted her mommy. If mommy said it was okay, then it was okay.

Suddenly a knock is heard on the door and Kurenai goes to answer it. She smiles when she sees Shikamaru. He was right on time. He might be a smidge lazy, but the man was always punctual.

"What a drag. This is crazy. Kurenai Sensei, you know that this is crazy, right?" He asks with a yawn as he walks inside.

His body language didn't fool the experienced Jonin though. Shikamaru was very much taking in his surroundings and memorizing everything. His demeanor might be relaxed, but he obviously wasn't.

"It's not crazy. Kakashi assigned me the mission himself. He wouldn't have done so, if it was dangerous. Besides, he's been very good with Mirai so far." The ruby eyed woman replies.

She didn't know why she felt so defensive. Shikamaru was just asking what anyone else would have in his situation. Sasuke was a former S Class Criminal and as it stood now, he was one of the most powerful ninjas in the world.

The only person who could really pose a threat to him was likely Naruto. Naruto was friends with Sasuke though. The Uchiha was almost untouchable really and no matter what Shikamaru did, it was highly unlikely that he could change that fact.

"Well I normally wouldn't question Kakashi's judgment, but he did used to be Sasuke's teacher. I think he's a little too close to the situation. It's clouding his judgment just a bit. Wait. What?! You let Sasuke near your two year old?!" He demands in outrage.

"Lazy bones! Hi, Lazy Bones!" Mirai says with a giggle when she notices Shikamaru.

Shikamaru found himself smiling despite the perilous situation. Mirai was just too adorable not to smile at. What wasn't adorable was Sasuke being in the same house as a very innocent and vulnerable toddler!

"Hey, Mirai." He says with a smile as he hugs her.

"Thanks for watching her. I really didn't want to have to bring her along during the middle of construction." Kurenai admits.

Shikamaru sighs. He knew that that the Genjutsu Mistress was just following the orders of her Hokage, but it still didn't sit right with him. Sasuke was most certainly not the type of person that he wanted to be left alone with a small child.

"Alright. I'll keep her safe. You have my word on that." He promises her.

"Thank you. I'll be back later." Kurenai tells Mirai as she leans down to kiss her on the forehead and heads off.

Shikamaru watches her leave warily. He faintly wondered if the ruby eyed woman had even the faintest idea what she was getting herself into.

"Your mother is either very brave or very foolish." He tells Mirai.

Mirai tilts her head to the side. She didn't know what foolish meant. It sounded like a bad thing though, but Lazy Bones had never been mean to her mommy before.

"I wasn't making fun of her. Sorry, Mirai. It's just frustrating. You'll understand one day, when you're older. Much older." The young Jonin states.

* * *

Meanwhile Kurenai had made her way outside and stares at all the Sasuke's running around. It was quite the sight to say the least. Sasuke may have been a former criminal, but there was no denying that he was attractive.

Hadn't even Mei made note of it? She had once called Sasuke too handsome to kill and perhaps to a certain extent that was true. Though it was also certain that Naruto and Sasuke had come all too close to killing each other far more often than either of them was happy to admit.

"I see that you've already gotten started." She muses.

"I didn't see a reason to wait. I figured that you would wake when you woke and that Mirai needed you more than I did. Was that Shikamaru that I saw come through the District?" Sasuke asks with a raised eyebrow as he stands up one of the beams.

She sighs. Kurenai had no way of knowing how Sasuke would feel about Shikamaru in general. She especially didn't know how the young man would feel about someone else invading his family's sacred grounds. This could get ugly and fast.

"Yes, it was. He's going to watch Mirai while I help you. A construction zone is really no place for a young child." She reasons.

Sasuke seemed to like Mirai. Maybe he would be reasonable about this. Well at least that's what she was hoping for.

"Makes sense. I hope he's not going to be annoying. Half of this village would love nothing more than to kill me or at least lecture me." He states as he starts pounding a nail into the beam with a hammer.

The Jonin mentally sighs in relief. Well that was one disaster averted. She wasn't entirely sure how working with him on rebuilding was going to go, but at least Sasuke wasn't unreasonable.

"I'm fairly certain that as long as Shikamaru believes you aren't going to hurt me or Mirai, that he'll be quite content to avoid you." She says honestly as she begins sweeping up broken bites of glass, stone, wood, and other rubble.

Thank goodness that she and Mirai had powerful sandals. The entire District was easily a death trap just by sheer virtue of the magnitude of debris inside it.

She couldn't believe that Sasuke had actually lived here. Well he was only recently back. That was probably why. It was hard for the young mother to imagine that Sasuke would ever put up with such a hazardous environment, if he could prevent it.

"Glad to hear it. Have you ever done this kind of thing before?" Sasuke asks.

She was smart and strong. He was confident that Kurenai could learn. Sasuke just found it highly unlikely that she had ever worked on construction before.

"I have. I've been a Jonin for several years, Sasuke. There's not much that I haven't tried my hand at. Well at least once." She assures him with a smile.

Despite the strange situation, the raven haired man found himself returning her smile. Her smile was contagious really. No one had ever made him want to smile so easily before. Well at least not after the deaths of all his family members.

"Alright. Good. Can you read a blueprint?" He asks as he walks over to her and shows her one.

"Yes, I can read a blueprint. Let's get started." The ruby eyed woman replies as she glances it over in a rather thorough fashion.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Team Eight was in the middle of a training session. Well at least that's the way that it started out. It certainly wasn't ending that way.

"I can't believe that Kakashi is having Kurenai stay with Sasuke. He's got to be out of his mind." Kiba grunts in annoyance as he slams his leg into a training post.

Kakashi had informed Team Eight that Kurenai was going to be taking a brief break from training them to assist Sasuke with District Reconstruction, earlier that day. Needless to say, the two men in the squad were less than thrilled by that declaration. On the other hand, Hinata was just confused by the strange assignment.

She honestly had no idea why the Hokage would single their Sensei out for such an unconventional mission. The bluenette had decided not to question it though. Kakashi was a smart man. Surely, he knew what he was doing.

"I must admit that I can't understand why he would send Kurenai to assist Sasuke. To my knowledge, the two of them have never interacted before." Shino agrees.

Her teammates apparently felt differently though. The Hyuga Heiress was forced to conclude that it must just be a guy thing. Either way, this was certainly unexpected news and she was uncertain as to how they were supposed to cope with it.

"Hinata, what do you think?" Kiba asks, noting their female teammate's silence on the issue.

"I'm confused, but I think that we should trust the Hokage's judgment. He knows Sasuke better than any of us. If Kakashi thinks that Kurenai will be able to help him, then he's probably right." The Hyuga woman answers honestly.

Her teammates appear a bit surprised at her answer. After a moment or two, they nod in agreement. Hinata might have a point.

"Besides, we could always go and check on them." Hinata suggests.

"Now you're talking! That's a great idea. Sasuke has to get used to people being back in his District anyway. He'd be stupid to attack us. I mean the guy just got a pardon. I say we do it!" The canine lover calls out triumphantly.

Shino sighs. He highly doubted that Sasuke was going to take kindly to them just showing up in his District, especially unannounced. He knew Kiba though.

Once that man got an idea stuck inside his head, it was almost impossible to get it out. The Inuzuka was just so stubborn. There was no reasoning with him when he got like this.

"Alright. We might as well. We need to be careful though. Sasuke is still a highly dangerous ninja. Never forget that." The quiet ninja warns them and his teammates nod in agreement.

"We can talk to Kurenai Sensei about it, on her way back to the Uchiha District. I'm sure that she'll be giving Kakashi some kind of status report today. That'd be the smarter move." Kiba reasons.

Shino raises an eyebrow. He was honestly rather impressed. He had expected the Inuzuka to rush into the Uchiha District without any plan. Thank goodness that he had been proven wrong.

"That sounds like a fine idea." Shino says.

* * *

A few hours later, Kurenai finishes working on the Uchiha District for the day. She quickly smiles at Shikamaru and reassures him that she would be back shortly. She had to make a report of their progress to Kakashi.

"Alright. I'll be here when you get back." Shikamaru says, though it was rather obvious that he was less than pleased about being left alone with the Uchiha.

She nods and heads off, leaving the two men alone as she pushes Mirai off in her stroller. Sasuke and Shikamaru both eye each other warily. It was obvious that neither of them really knew how to act around each other.

"The repairs seem to be going well." Shikamaru offers awkwardly.

"Yes. I imagine that in a few weeks, the District will be as good as knew. You know why I couldn't tell Kakashi about our progress, don't you?" Sasuke asks in a conversational tone.

Shikamaru wasn't fooled in the slightest. He knew Sasuke well enough to know that the man was far from casual or social. Whatever he was about to say next wasn't going to be good. That much was for certain.

"No. I don't. Why don't you tell me?" The cloud lover dares himself to ask.

"Kakashi assigned Kurenai to help me rebuild the District. That much is true, but that wasn't the only reason that she was sent here. She's essentially babysitting me. Of course, Kakashi isn't honest enough to call her mission that. He wants to know if I'm being a good boy or not." Sasuke says in disgust.

Shikamaru sighs in relief. Sasuke was just feeling sarcastic. A sarcastic Sasuke wasn't a homicidal Sasuke. While it was a drag, it was also unlikely that the last Uchiha was about to launch into a rage and try to destroy the village.

* * *

At that same moment, Kurenai had just arrived at the Hokage's Office. She blinks when she saw the mountain of paperwork on his desk and the fact that he was reading a book. A book that was part of a rather infamous series written by a certain Toad Sage.

"Kakashi, I'm here to give you my report. I would like to do so quickly. I didn't want to leave Sasuke alone, so I left Shikamaru with him. I'm not sure that they'll play nicely in my absence. That and Mirai should be put down for a nap soon." She says, only half joking.

"That's good point. Well what are your first impressions? I want your honest opinion about both his physical and emotional health, with a special emphasis on emotional." He says.

Kurenai pauses as she considers the answer to that question. Physically, Sasuke seemed to be in exceptional shape. Emotionally, he was a bit more dicey.

"I don't see anything physically wrong with him. As far as I can tell, he's in perfect health. Emotionally, I think that he still feels a tremendous amount of guilt for his previous transgressions. This is particularly true as it pertains to Sakura and Naruto. I believe that he is trying to avoid them for that reason. On the bright side, Sasuke appears to be perfectly sane." She offers.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement. Well he supposed that was a good start. Kurenai didn't think that Sasuke was psychotic. Still that was hardly a declaration of love or even of attraction.

"Yes, I assumed as much. Do you have anymore observations that you would like to make? Anything at all. Sasuke is not the most expressive person, even the smallest thing may be significant." The silver haired ninja explains.

"He raised no objections to Mirai's presence and seems to like her well enough. He's surprisingly good with her. Perhaps because he feels that such a young child can't possibly judge him for what he's done. He tolerated Shikamaru's arrival, but was wary." She adds.

The Hokage nods at this knowledge. He had expected as much. Sasuke did want to revive his Clan. It would be difficult or at least unpleasant to do that, if he actively disliked children.

It was also a rather convenient way to get Kurenai to think of him in a less threatening light. Women generally were more receptive to men that were kind to their children. It was just human nature and a smart biological adaptation, really.

"I shall take all of that into consideration. Please do tell me if anything else happens that you feel requires my consideration. It does not matter how early or late the hour is. This is an extremely important mission. We both know what Sasuke is capable of. I would rather see him fully reintegrated back into the village and happy. Not only for his sake, but for all of our sakes." The CopyCat Ninja instructs her.

"Of course." Kurenai agrees.

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone in the Leaf Village, things were now set in motion in one of the Ninja Island Nations. It was a small nation, but rich in natural resources. Their Kage was also rather ambitious.

The twenty something woman was highly intelligent. She knew that most people hadn't heard of her nation, unless they were involved in trade. She was going to change that though.

"And you say that he's unwed?" She asks one of her advisors.

"Yes, it does appear that way. I believe that if he was, even we would have heard about it. We are far away from the mainland, but we are not on another planet." Her advisor notes with a chuckle.

Yeshiva nods. That was true. The news might take a bit longer to reach them, but they would have heard of it. If the last Uchiha had married, everyone would know. That included them.

"What do we know about him?" Yeshiva inquires.

"He's of age, if only just. The only other ninja that we know of who could possibly beast him in battle is Naruto Uzumaki. His family's massacre traumatized him. It will likely be difficult to gain his trust. Though we do have some things that we can use to our advantage." The man continues.

She nods and gestures for him to continue as she rakes her beautiful silver brush through her long dark wavy locks. They were as black as night and reached to the middle of her back. Her chocolate brown eyes were fixed on Kai with an unnerving intensity.

"And what can we use to our advantage?" Yeshiva asks.

"The vast majority of the Leaf Village is rather suspicious of him. He's likely not happy there. That and he does want to restore his Clan anyway. We can offer him a new home and of course, we have your beauty on our side." He states.

"That's all true. Perhaps it's time that I paid a visit to the mainland." She says with a smirk.

* * *

Meanwhile Kurenai was heading back towards the Uchiha District when she was stopped by her team. Uh oh. She knew what this was. An intervention. They were hoping to talk some sense into her most likely.

"I know what you are going to say and please don't. I was given this mission by the Hokage himself. I can not in good conscience turn it down." She explains.

"I really don't like it though. It's dangerous." Kiba says as he leans down and smiles at Mirai.

Mirai was still in the stroller. She recognizes Kiba and coos immediately. She always liked seeing the Doggie Man!

"This mission does seem to pose significant risks." Shino offers in a moderately more diplomatic way.

Kurenai sighs. She knew that this was going to happen. Luckily, she had braced herself for the inevitable.

"And what about you, Hinata? Are you going to try to dissuade me from doing my job as well?" The Genjutsu Mistress inquires softly.

Hinata shakes her head. She really didn't like it either. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't lie. She was worried, but the bluenette also trusted Kurenai's abilities. She could handle just about anything.

"I have my concerns, but I won't try to talk you out of it. We didn't come here for that though. We'd all really like to visit while you are conducting your mission. I know that it would put all our minds at ease, if we could just see that Sasuke is being nice to you." She explains rather quickly.

"I'll talk to Sasuke about it. I can't promise that he'll agree though. If he doesn't, I don't want any of you to do anything crazy. No sneaking into the Uchiha District. That could end in disaster." She says with a sigh.

"Alright. We promise. We'll wait until you get his permission." Shino assures her and Kurenai nods approvingly.

* * *

With that being said, she bids farewell to her students and heads back to the Uchiha District. It was strange. She was getting so used to the rather dreary place. Well at least the modest construction that they had managed thus far had significantly decreased the feeling sadness and loss that seemed to hang in the very air itself.

"We're back! Sasuke, I need to speak with you for a moment." Kurenai says, once she was inside the house with Mirai.

"Alright, what's going on?" The last Uchiha says.

He was walking towards her. Kurenai wasn't sure how a man could make walking look positively ethereal. She was reminded of the way a beautiful jungle cat would stalk its prey. All deadly grace.

"My team would like to visit your District. I told them that I would speak to you on the matter." Kurenai informs him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely sure that he cared for that. He barely knew her team. Hinata might be alright. Shino was mute. Kiba would probably try to pick a fight though.

"I want you to be comfortable while you are here. If inviting your team makes you feel more comfortable, invite them. Though I'm warning you, I will defend myself in any fights that they may pick with me." The younger ninja replies honestly.

"That's fair." She says and winces.

Sasuke definitely noticed. The Jonin could tell the instant that he did. His face was unusually expressive, when he realized that she was injured.

"Are you alright?" He asks in concern.

"Oh I think that I just overstretched some muscle in my shoulders. It's nothing. I've had far worse." Kurenai assures him.

Secretly, she was relieved that he cared enough to ask. That was definitely a positive sign. Perhaps there really was hope for him yet.

"Sit. Let me have a look at it. I'm fair from a medic, but I did learn a few things at the Sound. Medicinal massage was one of them." He informs her.

Kurenai blinks. Sasuke was offering her a massage. It truly was a strange world sometimes. After thinking about it for a moment, she nods her head and sits down.

"Alright." She says a bit more uncertainly than she would like.

"I don't bite." He assures her as he sits behind her and begins rubbing her shoulders.

Kurenai shivers. It had been awhile since she had been touched this intimately. She knew that Sasuke was only trying to help her shoulders, but that didn't change the fact that he was a very attractive and surprisingly good with his hands.

It did surprise her. She had always associated his touch with destruction, once he reached adulthood. Now he was soothing away the agony that she had been silently enduring with ease.

"That's a bit of a shame. I'm certain that I could think of a few girls in the village who will be terribly sorry to hear that. Some people enjoy a few love bites." Kurenai says.

She mentally kicked herself for doing it. Why on Earth had she said that? Clearly, she must be in dire need of sleep, if she was being that careless.

"That's too bad for them. I don't like girls. I like women." He says with a smirk.

Kurenai blinks. She hadn't expected Sasuke to respond in a potentially flirtatious manner. Then again, it might not be. He might merely be insulting some of his female peers.

"Well some women like love bites as well." She amends her statement.

"Do you?" Sasuke shocks himself by asking and that's when he noticed something strange.

A purple butterfly had just landed on his forehead. The butterfly was completely fearless and actually had the gull to POKE him!

"What the Hell?" He asks in confusion as the butterfly flits out of striking range, but was still visible.

For some reason, Sasuke got the strangest feeling that the butterfly was actually laughing at him. It was laughing and clapping at him. Nevermind. That sounded crazy, even in his own head.

"It's a butterfly." Kurenai says with a smile and she was suddenly rather grateful to have the distraction.

She wasn't entirely certain what Kakashi had in mind when he gave her this mission. The Genjutsu Mistress did suspect that there was more to it than he was telling her, but she doubted discussing her romantic preferences was what the silver haired Hokage had in mind.

"Yeah. It is." Sasuke confirms as he eyes the strange insect curiously.

"Well it's getting late. I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight, Sasuke." She says as she scoops up Mirai and heads off to bed.

"Goodnight, Kurenai. Goodnight, Mirai." He says as he watches her leave. Little did he know that this wouldn't be the last of the purple butterfly that he would see. Sasuke was about to find out just how much mischief one beautiful insect could cause.


	5. Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are growing increasingly complicated between Sasuke and Kurenai as a new Kage arrives on the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I might throw curveballs here and there, but I only write happy endings.

Later that night, Kurenai peeks into Sasuke's room. She didn't know why she felt compelled to check on the young man. He was one of the most powerful ninjas in the world and it was highly unlikely anyone was foolish enough to attack him at this point. The Genjutsu Mistress decides to pawn it off to a mother's instincts and to leave it at that.

"He looks peaceful." She muses as she observes his slumbering features.

During his waking hours, Sasuke was constantly on guard. She was reminded of a cobra ready to strike at a moment's notice. Perhaps that was fitting though. He did have a Summoning Contract with Snakes.

With each passing day though, she was beginning to notice a slight change. The last Uchiha was becoming more comfortable around her. The raven haired woman was almost certain of it.

"That might have something to do with Mirai though." She whispers to herself.

Sasuke did seem to enjoy being around Mirai, even if he treated her somewhat gingerly. She suspected that had more to do with him not being used to children than anything else. The other ninja was likely afraid that he would accidentally hurt the toddler.

She smiles at the surprisingly peaceful scene. Speaking of Mirai, Kurenai couldn't believe how foolish she had behaved only a few hours before. Why had she mentioned biting to Sasuke?

Kurenai had a two year old to think about. She shouldn't be flirting with anyone, especially not someone who was still battling his own demons. The Genjutsu Mistress was supposed to be smarter than this!

_"That's too bad for them. I don't like girls. I like women."_ She recalls Sasuke saying with a smirk.

If it had been anyone else, Kurenai would have automatically assumed they were flirting. This was Sasuke though. Everything was more complicated when you were dealing with the last Uchiha, even his intentions.

It may have just been his way of trying to throw her off balance. The raven haired man could have just been trying to shock her. He had almost no control over his fate now. Sasuke's natural impulse would be to try reassert some level of control over his environment. That was probably why he had flirted with her.

"And who could blame him?" She whispers.

All of his life had been completely out of his hands. He had been born into the Uchiha Clan. When his brother killed their family, Sasuke wanted revenge. It had all spiraled from there.

Kurenai was fortunate that Kakashi had told her the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre. Most people would never know, but she did. The ruby eyed woman was also willing to bet that Sasuke knew that she knew. He likely wouldn't have mentioned Itachi otherwise.

"So much needless bloodshed." She observes to herself.

What would he have been like, if somehow the Massacre hadn't happened? Kurenai sighs and decides that it was probably best not to dwell on such things, especially not when he was making such progress. To do so, would be almost jinxing his recovery and that was something that the Genjutsu Mistress wouldn't do.

While Kurenai was distracted, a purple butterfly lands on Sasuke's nose. That was all that was needed to snap Sasuke awake. He jumps out of his bed, instantly on high alert.

His survival instincts kicked in and he grabs Kurenai, pinning her to the bed. Someone had snuck into his room and he was going to find out why. That was the only thought on his mind, until he realized something strange was going on. The person underneath him was strangely soft. They definitely weren't a man.

"Sasuke! Stop! It's me! It's Kurenai!" She pleads with him.

That snaps Sasuke out of his daze and he winces. Damn that butterfly. Kurenai must have been close to his room when the insect roused him from his slumber.

"Kurenai? I'm so sorry. I felt something on my face and reacted. Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" He asks in concern.

It was a strangely beautiful sight. The Rinnegan and Sharingan were both scanning her with equal intensity for injuries. The ruby red and lavender were stunning in an otherworldly way.

"It's alright. Every good ninja worth their salt trains themselves to wake up quickly and respond to potential attacks. I'm not hurt. You just surprised me." The raven haired woman assures him.

Sasuke sighs in relief. He never would have forgiven himself for hurting her. Kurenai had been nothing but kind to him and how did he repay her? He repaid her by nearly killing her for the "crime" of being too close to his room when he was startled awake.

"Good. I wouldn't hurt you. Not on purpose." He says.

The last Uchiha winces at the sound of his own voice. It sounded like he was pleading with her. He was pleading with her, not to be terrified of him.

"I know you wouldn't. It's alright. Sasuke, it was just an accident. I'm not even hurt. You just surprised me is all." The ruby eyed woman whispers.

_Beautiful._ She had the most beautiful eyes. They reminded him of the Sharingan, but kinder. That and a shade or two lighter.

The raven haired ninja found himself almost mesmerized by them. It wasn't just her eyes though. Kurenai was beautiful. It didn't matter where he looked.

"Well I'll try to surprise you less in the future." Sasuke promises.

He knew that he should get off of her. She wasn't protesting though and she felt so _nice_ underneath him. Her voice was so soothing. So understanding and her scent made him feel oddly relaxed.

"That is one naughty butterfly. It played a prank on both of us." She muses as she caresses his cheek.

"Yeah." Sasuke agrees with a smile as he leans into the touch.

Soft, warm, and kind. When was the last time he had been touched like that? Not since Itachi tapped him on the forehead before he died. Even longer, if he didn't count that.

His body had been conditioned to associate touch with either disgust, annoyance, or pain. Sasuke was not someone who enjoyed being touched. Well at least not until now.

"Let's just blame it on the butterfly. You don't need to be so on guard here though. It's your District. Your home. No one is going to be stupid enough to attack you in your sleep." Kurenai tells him with a smile.

"I know that in my head. It's just old habits die hard." The other ninja says with a sigh.

It figures. The ONE woman that he had ever been attracted to was the one that he nearly killed while he was half asleep. He finally had her underneath him and it was only because a butterfly woke him up and triggered his self-defense instincts.

Sasuke was sure that Itachi was likely laughing at his foolish little brother in the afterlife. So much for Clan Restoration, he thinks to himself rather bitterly. Sighing, he gets off of her and helps Kurenai up.

"I know. You likely had a very good reason to develop them. I want you to know that you are safe though. You have the chance to start over now. It's not going to be easy. People aren't going to forget about everything. It will take time, but you have a chance. People will see the real you in time." She tells him, once she was standing up.

The real him? What did that even mean? The naïve kid that had no idea his family was having a coup? The boy who had nearly given up everything in his quest for revenge? The grieving sole survivor of a dead Clan? He didn't even know who he was anymore.

All of his life had been driven by some goal. When he was a child, he wanted his father to notice him. Sasuke wanted to join the Military Police Force. The young Uchiha had wanted to be a strong ninja like his older brother.

"I'm not safe anywhere. I think we both know that. I appreciate you saying that all the same though. You're not like most of them." He replies cryptically.

His goals had been simple and innocent. Was that who he was? An naïve kid? Maybe that was the real him.

When he got older, he wanted revenge. Sasuke had deserted his village and his team to go to the Sound Village. He had been a creature of hatred. Nothing more, nothing less. Was that who he was?

"I know that it must feel that way, but that's not true. You're safe here. Sasuke, you're back where you belong. Though I don't know what you mean by that last statement." She says, frowning in confusion.

After finding out the truth about Itachi, he had been devastated. Everything that he had ever believed was a lie. Eventually, Sasuke had helped Naruto and the others win the war and was without a goal or a purpose again.

Was that who he was? A monster whose only purpose was to destroy other monsters? An empty husk with no dreams? No goals? Nothing?

"You're kind. You don't judge people. You're not afraid to be near me alone. So that means you're also brave and likely a little foolish." Sasuke teases her.

"Sasuke, you aren't the monster that they believe you to be or that even you believe yourself to be. You've made bad decisions, but you aren't a bad person. I've seen you with Mirai. Monsters don't entertain children with Fire Jutsus." She tells him with a soft smile.

"Thank you." He whispers as he leans closer to her.

He didn't really have any dreams or goals at the moment. Other than in the abstract. Sasuke did still want to restore his Clan, but for the moment she had made him feel something other than empty or angry.

"You don't have to thank me for telling the truth." Kurenai replies.

Without thinking about it, he brushes his lips against hers. They were just as soft and warm as the rest of her. Kurenai tasted watermelon. Sasuke wasn't sure why that was the case or why he had noticed that, but it was true nonetheless.

Kurenai kisses back in shock. She didn't have time to think about whether or not it was a good idea. The ninja only had time to choose whether to kiss back or not. So she kissed back.

At first, it was more of a ghost of a kiss than an actual kiss. His lips brushing against hers in a sensual whisper. Once she kissed back though, that was apparently all the consent that he needed. What was a sweet an innocent kiss quickly morphed into something far more lustful.

"Sasuke, wait." Kurenai says, after breaking the kiss.

She knew that she had to once the last Uchiha had coaxed a moan out of her. Kurenai doubted he had much, if any real experience in such things. Despite that, it appeared that there was a lot to be said for instinct. Sasuke was a very good kisser. That was why she had to stop him.

"I know that I shouldn't have done that. You're still grieving. I'll stop." He says as he caresses her cheek.

Kurenai should have been relieved that he was being reasonable. She should have been relieved that he was willing to stop. Instead, the Genjutsu Mistress found herself disappointed.

She knew that such a reaction was foolish. Sasuke was still trying to find himself. He was also significantly younger than her. Not to mention, he was right. She was grieving and there was also Mirai to consider.

"Sasuke, it's not that you did anything wrong. It just wouldn't be right. I shouldn't take advantage of you like that." She tells him.

The last thing that Kurenai wanted was for Sasuke to feel guilty. The man had been alone or felt alone for most of his life. It was only natural that when someone showed him kindness and wasn't demanding something of him, that Sasuke would try to hold onto that. He had nothing to feel guilty about.

"Kurenai, I think that I was the one doing the taking advantage of. You're a widow with a young child. I'm the former Criminal Ninja that just threw you onto my bed and then kissed you." Sasuke tells her.

"You were startled awake. That doesn't count. I know that it might not look like it, but it would be the other way around. I'm older than you, Sasuke. I'm the one that should know better." She mumbles.

Sasuke frowns. Of all the objections she could have raised, the last Uchiha had figured that would be at the bottom of the list. That reason STUNG.

"I'm not THAT much younger." He retorts defensively.

"Sasuke, that's not what I meant. I just mean that I've had more experienced with romantic relationships." Kurenai pleads with him.

"You didn't seem to mind my lack of experience when you were moaning into my kiss! Nevermind. I shouldn't have done it. It was wrong. I'm glad that it was with you. I'm glad that my first real kiss was with you." Sasuke says with a sigh as he kisses her forehead.

Kurenai bites her lower lip. That wasn't how she wanted it to go at all. It looked like Sasuke was about to launch into a verbal argument with her, but had thought better of it.

"Sasuke, you know that's not what I meant." She tells him.

"No. I get it. I won't do it again. I've done a lot of horrible things in my life, but that isn't one of them. I wouldn't force myself on someone who doesn't want me." He mutters as he walks off.

Kurenai sighs as she watches him walk off. Once he was out of earshot, she sighs in frustration and punches a wall. In hindsight, that wasn't her brightest idea. Owe.

"Damn it." She mutters.

* * *

A few days later and things were still awkward between them. Kurenai knew what Sasuke was doing. He was effectively giving her the closest thing to the silent treatment as he could, while still working with her on construction.

"Sasuke, don't do this." She says.

"Don't do what?" The Uchiha asks "innocently" as he pounds some nails into one of the many houses going up.

Sasuke had even created more clones. He obviously wanted to get her out of there as fast as possible. Kurenai couldn't entirely blame him either. She had been his first kiss. Clearly, he felt rejected.

"Shut me out. You were doing so well." The Genjutsu Mistress replies.

"I thought you wanted me to stop. So I stopped." He says curtly as he continues pounding more nails in.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look! Look!" Mirai calls out excitedly.

That was when Kurenai and Sasuke both looked and saw what had caught the toddler's attention. A large caravan was coming into the village. The type of caravan that signaled either a Daimyo, an extremely wealthy noble, or an important dignitary.

"We should go check that out." She whispers and Sasuke nods in agreement.

They both knew that whoever it was, they were going to want to see the last Uchiha. That and neither ninja could deny that they were curious. It wasn't often that such a grand procession entered a ninja village.

Kurenai quickly gets out the stroller and the three of them head towards the village square. That was where the procession was going. Almost everyone who could fit out on the street was trying to catch a peek. It seemed that they weren't the only ones who were curious.

"Greetings people of the Leaf, it is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Yeshiva. I am the TakiKage." A beautiful woman says as she steps out of the wagon.

"Have you ever heard of a TakiKage?" Sasuke whispers to Kurenai.

The Genjutsu Mistress could only shake her head in response. She'd never heard of it. Then again, she hadn't heard of every "minor Kage" either. Minor Kages were those who ruled over Island Nations or smaller Ninja nations.

That certainly caught Kakashi's attention. He smiles and strides over to greet her. Sasuke could tell that this wasn't a planned meeting though.

The last Uchiha knew Kakashi well enough to realize when the man was confused. He was certainly confused. It was unlikely that the TakiKage had warned him in advance that she was coming.

"Welcome Lady Yeshiva. What brings you to our village?" Kakashi inquires good-naturedly.

"The War has been over for a couple of years now. Most places have rebuild and ninja villages are becoming more interconnected than ever before. I came seeking the possibility of an alliance or at least of trade." She says with a sweet smile.

Yeshiva glances in the crowd. She was hopeful that Sasuke would be in it somewhere. Even the Uchiha would have to be curious about her traveling party.

It didn't take her long to find him. She smirks to herself. It seemed that Uchihas were just as curious as the ninja cats that their Clan was famous for raising, once upon a time.

"Well more allies and trading partners are always appreciated. Perhaps you would be so kind as to follow me to my office? I am Kakashi. I'm the Leaf's Hokage." He explains.

"That sounds wonderful." Yeshiva says as she follows the silver haired ninja off.

As she does so, she finds Sasuke in the crowd. Once she was certain that he was watching her, she winks. That ought to get his attention. A ninja like him should be aware enough of his surroundings to notice such things.

"Taki means waterfall." Sasuke says to Kurenai.

"Yes, it does. She's definitely not from the Village Hidden in the Waterfall though. She didn't use their title. She must be from an Island Nation with a lot of waterfalls." She observes.

"Most likely." Sasuke agrees as he watches her head off with Kakashi.

Kurenai bites her lower lip. She knew that she had no right to be jealous. Sasuke was hardly declaring that he was in love with the foreign Kage, but she was jealous.

She was jealous of some woman who had never even spoken to Sasuke. The Genjutsu Mistress knew that she wasn't being fair. Sasuke could look or court whoever he wanted. She had "rejected" him. He owed her nothing.

Sasuke hadn't missed the wink. There was no denying that the new Kage was beautiful, but she was a stranger. That and to him, Kurenai was more beautiful. He also knew her. He trusted her.

"Well it looks like the show is over for now. We should get Mirai home." He says with a sigh.

"Yes. You're right." Kurenai agrees as the three of them head off together.

Kurenai might have kissed him like she thought he was a man, but she still viewed him as little more than a child. That much was clear. The older ninja actually thought that she would be taking advantage of him, if they were together. It was insanity!

"Who she mommy?" Mirai asks Kurenai as they continue their trek towards the Uchiha District.

"Someone very important." Kurenai answers honestly.

* * *

Meanwhile Yeshiva was now in Kakashi's Office. Quite honestly, she would have rather been in the Uchiha District. Sadly, that wasn't an option. Well at least not yet, she thinks to herself with a smirk.

"I must admit that we in the Five Great Nations tend to be a little lax in geography, beyond our borders." Kakashi says good-naturedly.

"Oh that's quite alright. We are a small nation, but we are rich in resources. We should very much like to become more known. I don't believe that being so insular is good for my people." She tells him with a kind smile.

The smile was a lie of course. She didn't particularly care what the CopyCat Ninja thought of her, but appearances were important. That and this man had been Sasuke's Sensei. He might hold the key to winning him over.

"That's true. There comes a time when one must step out of their comfort zone and explore the world." He offers.

"That's most certainly true." Yeshiva agrees.

The one thing that troubled her was that Sasuke had left the crowd. He had left and he wasn't alone. The last Uchiha had left with a woman and a toddler.

Yeshiva was certain that child wasn't his. If the last Uchiha had sired a child, the news would have spread far and wide by now. Perhaps he was helping the young mother for some reason? A minor mission to keep him occupied while he reintegrated into the Leaf Village, maybe?

"How long do you plan on staying in the Leaf Village?" Kakashi inquires.

"As long as it takes. I'm a woman who is very committed to my goals. Once I decide that I want something, I won't give up until I have it. I'm certain that you must understand. I suppose this is a trait that all Kages share to varying degrees." Yeshiva says with a giggle.

The giggle was to make him think that she was playful or perhaps a bit of an airhead. It was important to make your "opponents" underestimate you. That was one of the easiest paths to victories that she knew of.

"That's an admirable trait and likely true. Would you like for me to escort you to a hotel?" He asks.

"That would be most kind of you." She says with a smile.

"Well I do try, My Lady. Is there anything else that you will be requiring?" Kakashi asks as he offers the stunning woman his arms.

Yeshiva pauses. She makes a grand show of pretending to think about the matter really hard. That was the best way to go about it, really. One had to be convincing.

"I think that a bodyguard from the Leaf would be very helpful. My people do not know your village. They are at a disadvantage here." She whispers.

"Naturally. Well that seems like a reasonable request. I'm certain that we can find you a suitable guard for the duration of your stay here." The Hokage answers.

Yeshiva smirks. It was all going to plan. She knew that the next part was critical though. She had to request for Sasuke to be her guard, but she had to do it in a way that wouldn't make Kakashi suspicious. Tragically, that was easier said than done.

"I would like to make a request for a very specific guard." She says.

"Alright. Who did you have in mind?" The Hokage replies.

"Sasuke Uchiha. After all, a Kage should have only the best protecting them and I believe it would go a long way towards his reintegration. If he is seen as being trusted with such an important mission, that will go a long way towards soothing the anxieties of his comrades." Yeshiva reasons.

Kakashi's eyes narrow in suspicion for only a few seconds. He was suddenly very grateful that he had taught himself how to mask his emotions quickly. It was a skill that was serving him rather well at the moment.

She had given this a great deal of thought. A suspiciously great deal of thought. She wasn't here because she was interested in an alliance or trade. She was here for Sasuke.

"I'll talk to him. He is rather busy rebuilding the Uchiha District at the moment. I don't want you to get your hopes up. He can be a bit…unpredictable." The silver haired ninja warns her.

"That's fine with me. I can be patient." She says with a smile.

He had hoped comment about Sasuke would scare her off. Sadly, it hadn't. The last thing that Kakashi needed was for this gorgeous Kage to start trying to seduce Sasuke.

Not when his relationship with Kurenai was clearly growing stronger by the day. There was still a good chance that Sasuke might find love with the Genjutsu Mistress. So naturally, Yeshiva had to show up and throw a wrench into his plans. Kakashi sighs as he realizes that being the informal matchmaker of the Leaf Village, just got a lot more complicated.


	6. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurenai tries to deal with her jealousy as Yeshiva makes her move, but Sasuke isn't biting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: There will be some curveballs that might throw people for a loop. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy the rollercoaster and please keep in mind that I only do happy endings. Yes, all of the original Team Seven is getting involved. That will be the extent of the meddlers though.

The next day. Kakashi summons Sasuke, Kurenai, and Mirai to his office. He still didn't like this, but hardly refuse the other Kage's request. The silver haired ninja could only hope that Sasuke would see Yeshiva's seduction attempts for what they were.

"Kurenai, do you feel comfortable continuing the reconstruction on your own for a few days? You may have whoever you like watch Mirai while you do so. Lady Yeshiva has requested that Sasuke serve as her bodyguard for the duration of her stay here." The Hokage explains.

Sasuke blinks in surprise. The TakiKage wanted him to be her bodyguard? Did Yeshiva know who he was? Why would she make that request?

Kurenai frowns. She didn't like the sounds of that. A foreign Kage was taking an interest in Sasuke. She doubted that it was purely because the woman needed a bodyguard. There had to be another reason.

Surely, any Kage would travel with their personal guards. If she felt they were unsuitable for the task, Kakashi could have assigned her anyone one of their many talented ninjas. Why would she choose Sasuke in particular? Why would she take that gamble?

After all, much of the world still feared Sasuke. Many people reviled him. There were also those that were in awe of his abilities or lusted after him. Perhaps she was in the last camp.

"Yes, I can handle that. Diplomatically, it would be a foolish move to refuse a visiting Kage's request." The ruby eyed woman says with a sigh.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly. Sasuke, do you mind taking on this mission?" The Hokage inquires.

He half hoped that Sasuke would reject the mission. He had an excuse. The last Uchiha still had to rebuild his District. Kakashi could spin such an answer and likely avoid a complete political disaster, even if it would likely sour relations between the two villages in the future.

"I don't mind. The rubble is still going to be there when I get back and I'm sure Kurenai can handle it. She's a Jonin. She knows how to read a blueprint." Sasuke says smugly.

Kurenai winces. Sasuke was clearly still angry about her "rejection" of him. His pride had been wounded and apparently, he wasn't above subtly lashing out at her. That wasn't a good sign.

"Yes, I think that I can manage. Sasuke, be careful. I doubt that this woman has come all this way just to look at the sights and to establish trading relationships with our village. We know nothing about her." The Genjutsu Mistress warns him.

"I'll keep that in mind. Will she be expecting me to stay with her at night?" Sasuke asks.

Kakashi sighs. That was the part he was afraid of. He was damn sure that Yeshiva would expect him to be a full-time bodyguard. After all, the chances of seducing him were greater at night than during the day.

He was sending a young, single man to spend his nights with a beautiful, single woman. A woman who was a Kage to boot. That was an intoxicating combination of beauty and power. Sasuke almost didn't stand a chance.

"Most likely. I would probably grab a few sets of clothes to change into, just in case." The silver haired man informs him.

"Got it. What hotel room is she staying at?" Sasuke answers.

Kakashi sighs and hands Sasuke a key to the hotel room. The key had her room number on it. Sasuke thanks him and quickly departs.

"This isn't going to end well. You know that this isn't going to end well." Kurenai tells him.

"Fire Man leaving?" Mirai asks and Kakashi chuckles in response.

That was adorable. Mirai had a nickname for Sasuke. Well he certainly couldn't argue with the accuracy of it. Sasuke did have a habit of creating fire. It was an Uchiha thing, really.

"For a little while. He'll be back soon though." Kurenai tells her daughter.

"I know that it's a bad idea, but I can hardly refuse her. What am I supposed to tell her? You can't have Sasuke as your bodyguard because I know that you're going to try to seduce him?" The CopyCat Ninja replies.

Kurenai bites her lower lip as she considers Kakashi's words. He was right. She hated to admit it, but he was right.

She was another Kage and looking to establish relations between the two ninja villages. Yeshiva wasn't doing anything that was cause for major concern. Why wouldn't an unmarried Kage try to land a husband with a bloodline?

"I know that you're right, but it's extremely frustrating." Kurenai admits.

"What's seduce mean?" Mirai asks as she looks up at her mother with big innocent eyes.

The Genjutsu Mistress rubs the back of her head sheepishly in response. She couldn't believe that her two year old had asked that. Oh boy. How could she possibly answer that innocent question?

"It means that the other woman wants to be the Fire Man's very special friend." Kakashi answers helpfully.

"Oh! Like mommy!" She says with a smile and Kurenai was suddenly confident that her blush could have competed with Hinata's.

"Well it depends what kind of games they've been playing with each other." Kakashi says with a sly smile.

Kurenai mentally groans. Kakashi was never going to let her live that down. Her daughter had unwittingly given the Hokage quite a bit of ammunition to tease the ruby eyed woman with.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke had picked up some clothes and stuffed them into his ninja traveling pack. Deciding that he had everything that he needed, he swiftly heads to the hotel. After all, keeping a Kage waiting was bad manners.

That thought brought a smirk to his face. He had attacked the Kage Summit. Why Yeshiva would trust him to be her bodyguard was completely beyond Sasuke.

"Well at least it gets me out of the District for a few days." He muses.

Everything had been going so well. Sasuke wasn't delusional. He didn't think that Kurenai would actually return his feelings, but the reason why still cut him.

Sasuke had expected her to say that she had a toddler to think about. Kurenai had to focus on her daughter and not her love life. He had expected her to say that she just wasn't ready because she was still grieving over Asuma. What he hadn't expected her to say was that he was too **_young_** for her.

"It's probably a good thing she asked me to be her bodyguard." He whispers to himself as he knocks on Yeshiva's hotel door.

It made him feel like a kid. Like he was a male Mirai or something. Kurenai hadn't responded to his kiss like he was a child though and that soothed Sasuke's pride somewhat.

"Sasuke?" A feminine voice calls out from the other side of the door.

"Yes, it's me. The Hokage assigned me to be your bodyguard for the duration of your stay. May I come in?" Sasuke asks.

He might as well try to be professional. This was the first real mission that he'd had in years. If he ever wanted to repair his reputation as a ninja, Sasuke figured that he had better start taking missions seriously again.

"Of course. You may come…in anytime you like." The Kage replies.

There was something incredibly suggestive about the way she said that. Sasuke shakes his head. He had to be imagining things. No Kage was going to flirt with a former S Class Criminal Ninja.

"Alright." He says and with that, he uses his key to open the door and heads inside.

The room was beautiful. A king sized bed with red silken sheets and blanks. The pillows were midnight black and the carpet was an ivory cream color. The walls were light blue, but that wasn't all.

"I'm so glad that you could make it. I've wanted to meet you for awhile." Yeshiva says as she approaches him with a sly smile.

There was a connected bathroom and a kitten. The living room had a plush red couch and a fireplace. A colorful rug and an oak coffee table finished off the living room.

The suite had everything that you might need. Sasuke was confident that she wouldn't have to leave the hotel for anything, if she didn't desire to do so. It was a very self-sufficient version of luxury.

"That's kind of you to say. I'll be the first to admit that's a rare greeting to hear these days." Sasuke replies.

"Mmm I imagine so. There will always be those who are afraid of fire. It can be a destructive force, but it's not all bad. It has quite a few good qualities, actually." She tells him.

Sasuke was pretty sure that fire was a metaphor for him in this case. Unlike Kurenai, he doubted that Yeshiva's intentions were purely platonic. He just wasn't sure how to respond to her advances though.

This wasn't some Academy girl or some random woman who batted her eyes at him while he was traveling. This was an Kage and definitely very much a grown woman. If he upset her, it wouldn't end well.

"You should tell the others that. Anyway, I doubt that you're in any danger in the Leaf. It's been rather peaceful as far as I can tell, since the war ended." Sasuke assures her.

It was flattering, but it was also dangerous. Sasuke was confident that he could handle her if she attacked him, but that wasn't what she was doing. She was flirting with him.

The most frustrating part of it was that part of him was definitely flattered. Who wouldn't be? Besides, it wasn't cheating. Kurenai had told him to stop and he had. Maybe.

"Mmm still I feel much safer knowing that you're watching my back and everything else." She tells him as she brushes her long dark hair.

She was definitely flirting. Whether she was seriously trying to seduce him or this was some kind of test, Sasuke wasn't sure. It didn't matter though.

She was only here for a few days. He could just pretend to be oblivious. That was the smarter approach. The Kage couldn't get offended, if for him not commenting on her advances.

"I'm certain that you have many people who would be more than willing to be your bodyguard. You seem like the type of leader that would inspire admiration from your people." Sasuke says.

Yeshiva smiles. He was young, but apparently Sasuke wasn't that young. It was a compliment that was designed to be professional while still being a "soft rejection." It was quite clever really.

"Yes, there are many who would offer. Unfortunately, there are very few who are worthy of such an honor." The TakiKage responds.

That probably wasn't good. Yeshiva was going to keep up the flirtation it seemed. Maybe, she just was interested because he was an Uchiha. He was exotic.

Whatever the reason, Sasuke knew that he would have to tread carefully. He'd made a lot of mistakes in the past. Indulging in the three vices wasn't one of them. He could only hope that he wasn't about to break his perfect record in that regard.

* * *

The next day, Kureani was busy working on reconstruction. Thankfully, Hinata had agreed to watch Mirai. So she was able to focus on rebuilding.

"I can't believe that Kakashi actually let him go with that woman." She mutters in annoyance as she pounds down some nails.

The Genjutsu Mistress had never been so grateful to have an excuse to hit things before. It was therapeutic in a way. She was angry and needed a healthy outlet. Reconstruction provided that.

The most damning thing about the entire situation was the fact that her fury was unjustifiable. Sasuke wasn't her husband. He wasn't her lover. She had no claim on him. It wasn't like Yeshiva was "stealing" him away.

"He might be happier with her." She mutters as she slams the hammer down again.

There wasn't a single reason why Sasuke wouldn't be attracted to her. Kurenai doubted the fact that she was from another village would dissuade him. Sadly, Sasuke might even look at that as a bonus.

Why should he stay in the Leaf? He was staying here more to honor Itachi's memory and for Naruto. Sasuke wasn't staying in the Leaf because he liked it. He just didn't have any other options.

"And she might give him another option." The ruby eyed woman whispers.

"Who might give who another option?" Kurenai hears a familiar voice ask.

Hinata. It was Hinata. Kurenai would recognize that voice anywhere. It was the voice of her only current female student.

The shy Hyuga Heiress must have heard her talking to herself. Lovely. Now Hinata probably thought that she was insane. Though privately, the Genjutsu Mistress was beginning to question her sanity herself. So she couldn't entirely blame the lavender eyed woman, if Hinata did the same.

"Oh it's nothing. I'm just worried about how Sasuke's mission with the TakiKage will go." Kurenai says.

It really was nothing. She wasn't going to be with Sasuke. Kurenai certainly hadn't planned to kiss him. It had just happened.

She had done the responsible thing and stopped things from escalating further. There was no reason to get jealous. Really, it was only natural that someone else would find him attractive.

"Oh. I'm worried too. It's been a long time since Sasuke's had an official mission and he's not the most respectful person when it comes to authority figures." Hinata offers.

That was putting it mildly. Sasuke had killed the older brother who he idolized because he wrongly thought Itachi was a Clan Slayer. He had left Team Seven and thus given up on Kakashi as a Sensei. After that, he killed Orochimaru. There was also Obito and Madara. Not to mention, he had attacked the Kage Summit.

To say the least, Sasuke was not a person who respected authority. He was not someone who put much stock in titles. If he wanted something, Sasuke was going to try to take it. No one was going to tell him that he couldn't do something.

"That's true. I do worry about him." Kurenai admits honestly.

That was both an admirable and a frightening trait. Sasuke operated on an emotional level. For someone as intelligent as he was, he could be a loose cannon. Why the TakiKage would risk playing with that cannon was anyone's guess.

It was at that moment,, that Sasuke came strolling into the Uchiha District. He heads over to Kurenai and Hinata. The young ninja was carrying a bag of something.

"Sasuke, you're back." Kurenai says with a smile.

Maybe, Yeshiva had decided that he was too wild for her. That would be a good thing. As much as she wanted to be the reasonable adult and not be jealous, it just wasn't working.

"Yeah. I figured that we were running low on food and that I'd peek in to see if you needed any help. Her other guards are watching her for the moment." Sasuke says.

Not that he thought Yeshiva needed guards. She was a Kage. Surely, the woman was a formidable fighter in her own right and who would be foolish enough to start a war by attacking her? The guards were likely more a formality than anything else.

"Fire Man!" Mirai says as she peeks her head out of the kitchen window.

"Oh I'm sorry! I shouldn't have left her alone. I'll go get her!" Hinata says as she scurries back into the house.

"Oh well I'm good. As you can see, I've made a lot of progress. It's still going to take awhile to get everything repaired, but I think that we're on the right track." The ruby eyed woman replies.

Sasuke nods approvingly. Kurenai had clearly been working hard. There was already a house up. That was surprising. It had only been one day since he started working under Yeshiva.

The last Uchiha mentally slaps himself for his poor choice of description. That sounded indecent, even inside his own head. Thankfully, he hadn't actually voiced that observation out loud. His pride never would have recovered, if he had.

"That's good. Well I'm going to go put these away and then head back to Yeshiva." Sasuke says as he walks into the house.

Kurenai blinks. She didn't like the fact that Sasuke was on a first name basis with that woman. That wasn't a good sign.

Well at least Sasuke was willing to talk to her again. That was something right? She really needed to get over whatever physical attraction she had to him and quickly. Jealousy was not a healthy emotion.

* * *

"Hey, Mirai." Sasuke greets the toddler, once he was inside the kitchen.

He proceeds to start putting away the foot and watches as Hinata attempts to wrangle the young child. It didn't look like the Hyuga Princess was having much luck. It certainly wasn't from a lack of trying though.

Hinata obviously liked kids, but she seemed afraid to just scoop Mirai up. Sasuke pawns that off to her shy nature. Hinata wasn't like Kurenai.

"You need any help?" Sasuke asks.

"I think I got her. Thank you though." Hinata replies with a sweet smile.

Kurenai wasn't as pushy as Sakura. She wasn't as giggly as Ino. While she was quieter than most of the Leaf women, she was certainly less shy than her student. That was probably one of the reasons why she had been the first woman to catch his eye.

Now that he was actually a man, he had clearly blown any chance that he had with the Genjutsu Mistress. Not that Sasuke had thought that she would ever want him that way, but it was a nice fantasy. For a short while, he had been allowed to indulge in it. Unfortunately, the real world had decided to shatter that daydream.

"Alright. I'll see you around then." Sasuke says as he finishes putting away the food and Flickers off.

* * *

Elsewhere Naruto was training with Sakura. Sasuke was too busy to get much training in between being a bodyguard and restoring his District. So the blonde was more than happy to train with his other teammate.

"You've gotten a lot stronger, Sakura! Sheesh! Look at the size of that boulder." The other member of Team Seven says.

"Thanks. Speaking of strong, I'm worried about Sasuke. Kakashi didn't look too happy to assign him to be the TakiKage's bodyguard." The pink haired woman observes.

Naruto frowns as he considers that. Yeah. Kakashi Sensei had looked a little anxious. Naturally, he hid it well. Naruto could tell though. After all, the man had been his Sensei.

"Yeah. I noticed that too. It's probably just because let's face it, the bastard doesn't have the best people skills and she's a Kage. It's important to be nice to her and Sasuke doesn't really do nice." The blue eyed ninja reasons.

Sakura nods. That was true. Sasuke was antisocial at the best of times. She couldn't help but feel that there was more to the story though.

Could Kakashi actually be trying to manipulate Sasuke somehow? Sending Kurenai to his District was a logical, but unconventional move. The woman was a good choice, but she barely had any connection to him.

"Maybe." The medic replies, though it was obvious that she was less than convinced..

She knew that she and Naruto were too close to Sasuke. It was too personal. He'd never let his guard down around him, but there had to be other people that Kakashi could have chosen.

Was he trying to play matchmaker? Was that why he was so upset about Yeshiva? It would make sense. If Kakashi Sensei was trying to help romance bloom between Sasuke and Kurenai, he wouldn't want another woman to show up.

"Sakura, what's going on?" Naruto demands.

"I think that Kakashi Sensei believes Sasuke likes Kurenai." She mumbles.

It was a painful realization. She knew that she wasn't going to be the one to reach Sasuke. Naruto had in his own way, but that was different than romantic love. That was the bond between brothers. Not lovers.

Naruto blinks. That was crazy. The idea of Sasuke **_liking_** anyone was laughable. He'd never even looked at a girl (or a guy).

"Why do you think that?" He inquires in confusion.

Naruto had once made the mistake of asking Sasuke, if he preferred men. Traveling with the Pervy Sage had been an eye opening experience to say the least. Apparently, love and lust didn't always care about little things like gender. It was possible that Sasuke just didn't like girls.

His question had been answered with an immediate Chidori and a very angry Uchiha. Sasuke had informed Naruto in no uncertain terms during a rather vicious "training session" that he liked women.

Sasuke apparently didn't have anything against homosexuality, he was just furious that Naruto would try to meddle in his love life. That and last Uchiha just hadn't found one the right one yet. Naruto had wisely backed off after that in the interest of self-preservation.

"He seems well calmer around her. That and Sasuke doesn't really like sharing his space with anyone. He was willing to let Kurenai temporarily move in with her daughter." Sakura points out.

"That's a good point. Do you think that we should just ask Kakashi Sensei that? I mean he'd tell us, if he was trying to play matchmaker. Wouldn't he?" The Jinchuuriki questions her.

Sakura shakes her head. Not necessarily. She didn't necessarily think that Kakashi would tell them, if he had decided to play matchmaker. It wouldn't make any sense to do so.

If Sasuke found out that someone was trying to get him a girlfriend, he would lash out. The last Uchiha was used to people trying to control him and was probably resentful about people meddling in his life. If he found out that Kakashi was trying to set him up, he'd reject the woman on principle. Well at least that's what Sakura thought anyway.

"I don't think so. I think we are better off asking Kurenai. Sasuke isn't that talkative and Kakashi is too smart to tell us anything. Actually, let me talk to her. You can talk to Team Eight." The medic says.

"Alright. I'll talk to Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. Maybe they'll know something. Good luck with Kurenai." Naruto says and with that, the two ninjas take off to engage in a little meddling.


	7. A Million Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sasuke wards off Yeshiva's advances, Kurenai and Sasuke continue to grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A short while later, Sasuke was back in Yeshiva's hotel room. He might not have been an expert in romance, but Sasuke wasn't Naruto. He could tell when a woman was interested and Yeshiva was very interested.

It was nice in a way. She didn't giggle or chase him around. She wasn't constantly thrusting chocolates or other sweets in his face to win him over. Her flirtation attempts were definitely more mature. He had to give her that much.

"It does sound like a beautiful place." Sasuke offers politely.

Logically, he knew that he should probably respond to her advances. Really, she met every requirement that he could ask for in a Clan Matriarch. She was strong, beautiful, smart, and not annoying. It just wasn't the same though.

"It is. I think that you would love it. Tell me can you swim?" She inquires.

She wasn't Kurenai. That was probably why Yeshiva was trying to seduce him though. Kurenai would never intentionally try to seduce him. It had just happened.

"Yes, I can swim." The last Uchiha replies.

"Mmm that's good. I've heard that you are quite the traveler. Perhaps you'll come and visit my village someday." She continues.

The woman was laying it on thick. Yeshiva wasn't doing anything that was particularly outrageous, but she was far from shy. This woman was definitely a huntress. She went after what she wanted.

That was an attractive and somewhat troubling trait. Would she forget about him, after she left? What would he do, if she didn't?

"Anything is possible, I guess. It seems unlikely though. I still have to rebuild my District and that's going to take a very long time, even with Kurenai's help." He says.

That wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. They'd be able to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Still judging by the way the TakiKage was talking, she probably expected him to come back to her village with him immediately. So to her, it would be a long time.

"Ah was that the woman I saw you with? Her name is Kurenai?" Yeshiva asks.

Sasuke tries to suppress a shiver at the subtle ice in her voice. She was already jealous of the Genjutsu Mistress. He was now entering very dangerous territory.

"Yes, her name is Kurenai. She's been assigned to help me rebuild my District." He says.

Damn. He hoped that he hadn't triggered some feud between the two of them. Kurenai wasn't even his lover. The woman didn't need or deserve to get caught up in a petty jealous squabble.

She was a mother. Kurenai had more important things to do than to get into a catfight over his affections. Affections that she clearly didn't want to begin with at that!

"Ah. Well that's nice. It would be quite the hard task to accomplish alone. From what I gather, the Uchiha District is quite large?" Yeshiva inquires innocently.

Sasuke didn't buy the innocent act for a minute. Still he wasn't going to call her on it. Nothing good would come of doing so. For now, he was more than content to let her play her game.

"Yes and yes. Do you have any plans for the day? As your bodyguard, it's important for me to know your schedule." Sasuke reasons.

"Mmm is that all you want to know about me?" Yeshiva asks slyly.

Damn. She had him cornered here. If he said yes, it could be considered rude. If he said no, Yeshiva would probably think he was making advances towards her. The latter option wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but Sasuke wasn't sure if he wanted to take what she was clearly offering.

It also didn't help that the woman was currently wearing a red silk bathrobe. The sash was tied, but the neckline was fairly low. The crimson fabric only came her knees as well. The entire outfit was an invitation.

"Well no. I think like most people, I'm very interested in learning more about you and your village." He says.

He might be able to get away with a professional answer like that. It could be interpreted as mildly flirtatious, but hopefully not enough to lead her on. That was really the last thing that he wanted to do.

His life was complicated enough without jilting a Kage. Sasuke still had to rebuild his District and restore his Clan. Unfortunately, the only one that he truly desired didn't return the favor. Yeshiva would be a good choice though, but he would have to leave the Leaf.

"Interesting. I wonder what the rest of the Ninja World would say about you, if they knew how polite you could be when properly motivated." She teases him.

He wasn't sure if that was a tease or a threat on second thought. Was she threatening him? Sasuke wasn't sure and that thought irritated him.

"They wouldn't believe you. Most of the Ninja World sees me as an Angel of Death and Destruction or just a bloodthirsty monster. Most will never see me as anything other than that." He replies.

When it came to battle prowess, the raven haired ninja had very little to fear from anyone. Well with one exception. Naruto. Naruto was the only person that he knew of at the moment who was his equal in combat. This woman wouldn't stand a chance against him and he was pretty sure they both knew that.

There were other ways to hurt someone though. If she felt spited, Yeshiva could certainly ensure that the Leaf and her village had less than favorable relations. She could also damage his reputation.

"Mmm well most of the Ninja World is wrong then. I'm certain that you'll take great joy in proving that." The dark beauty says with a quiet laugh and a playful wink.

The wink was cute and she had a nice laugh. Perhaps he had been overanalyzing things. It was possible that she was still just trying to seduce him and there hadn't been any actual malicious intent in her words.

"I don't know if I would say that I take great joy in proving them wrong, but I am determined to do so. I made a lot of mistakes, but I do intend to make up of them. It's probably going to take me the rest of my life to do so though and even then, I'm not sure if I can ever make up for what I did." Sasuke tells her.

Maybe, he could gently ignore her advances by playing the part of a martyr. If he sounded depressing enough, Yeshiva might move onto more cheerful pastures. It might or might not work, but it was certainly worth a try in his mind.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You were only trying to avenge your family. Anyone in your position would have wanted to do the same." She tells him as she caresses his cheek.

Alright. That had definitely backfired. Though she did have nice, soft hands. Kurenai's hands were soft too. Was it possible that most women just had soft hands?

He decides to save that thought for another day. Right now, Sasuke needed to find a suitable excuse to force her to cease physical contact with him. Now what would be a good reason to do so?

"You're too kind. The world would be a much better place, if everyone was as understanding as you. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. You shouldn't sully your hands by touching me. I have a lot of blood on my hands and everywhere else." Sasuke tells her as he gently removes her hand.

Yes, that might do it. If he truly sounded repentant, Yeshiva might lose interest. She didn't strike him as a particularly patient woman. It was very likely that she was used to getting her way immediately and she'd give up, if he was pathetic enough.

"As I said, you're far too hard on yourself. Perhaps what you need most is simply a fresh start." She says with a sly smile.

* * *

Meanwhile Kurenai sighs as she heads back into Sasuke's house to see Mirai. After all, her daughter needed to eat. That and she was rather hungry herself.

"Mommy!" Mirai says happily as she toddles over to her.

"Mirai." Kurenai says with a smile of her own as she scoops up her daughter and spins her around.

This is what she needed. She needed a distraction. Kurenai needed to forget about the fact that there was a Kage trying to seduce the last Uchiha. It was none of her business.

She really should know better. Sasuke was attractive and he was an excellent kisser. He'd probably be even better with practice, but he was still a deeply hurt person.

"Look what we made!" She says proudly as she shows Kurenai a picture that she had drawn.

Kurenai wasn't sure what it was supposed to be. It had pretty much every color imaginable scribbled on it though. Hinata had dawn a cat. Oh. Maybe Mirai had been trying to draw a kitten.

Upon closer inspection, that blob did appear to have whiskers and what might have been a tail and cat eyes. Yes, now she was reasonably confident that it was a cat. Well she was only two. Her artistic skills might improve with time.

"It's beautiful and so colorful." The Genjutsu Mistress praises her daughter as she kisses the top of her head.

"Mommy likes it?" Mirai asks excitedly.

"Of course, mommy likes and it I'm going to put it on the fridge. That way everyone can see it." She says as she proceeds to do exactly that.

Kurenai sometimes envied her daughter. The simplest things could make her happy. She could scarcely remember a time when she had once been the same way. Were all children like this at two, she wonders to herself.

"Yay!" The toddler exclaims with pride.

Hopefully, Sasuke wouldn't protest. She doubted that he would mind. The other ninja seemed to like Mirai well enough. Maybe, he wouldn't say anything.

"Mhm. Now, why don't we get some lunch?" The ruby eyed woman asks.

"Foods!" Her daughter calls out enthusiastically.

Well that answered that question. Kurenai observes with a smile as she begins making them lunch. Maybe she'd stuff some leftovers in the fridge for the last Uchiha to enjoy later.

She wasn't entirely sure what the other woman was capable of, but Kurenai knew one thing for damn sure. She was a better cook. The Leaf Ninja highly doubted that Kages had much time to refine their culinary skills and she was a big believer in the old saying. The fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach.

"I'm being ridiculous." She mutters to herself as she prepares them some chicken.

She didn't want to win his heart. Kurenai should be trying to discourage whatever attraction Sasuke still might have to her. He was far too young.

The man was highly intelligent. He'd seen far more pain and suffering than anyone should see in their entire lives and he wasn't even thirty yet. That wasn't her concern. Her concern was his emotional well-being.

"What's rid-cue-less?" Mirai asks innocently as she tries to copy the big word.

"Oh it just means silly." Kurenai replies and sighs.

The man's emotional development had been frozen at age seven in some ways. If you peeled back enough layers, you would find a very sad and angry little boy. The only difference now was that little boy had grown up to be a man who could level entire villages.

He had told her that she was his first real kiss. That honestly shocked her. While Sasuke had never shown much interest in girls his own age in the village, she had assumed that he would have had at least some contact with the opposite sex during his travels, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Why mommy silly?" The child questions her mother.

"Oh it's a long story." Kurenai says vaguely.

How could she possibly explain to her daughter that she was jealous of a Kage that was trying to seduce the _Fire Man_? It was ludicrous and she knew that. Sasuke wasn't hers. She had no reason to be jealous.

* * *

Several hours later, Sasuke walks back into his home. He smiles when he notices the lights were on. It was a sight that he was still getting used to. Coming home and seeing the lights on.

That meant that someone else was actually there. His house wasn't empty. It was a good feeling. A surreal, but good feeling.

"Kurenai?" He calls out softly.

"I'm in the living room." Came the almost immediately reply.

Sasuke smiles and heads to the living room. The brief realization that his District wasn't completely empty had put him in a good mood. Once in the living room, he saw that Kurenai was reading some book. Probably a novel.

"How did it go with the TakiKage?" She inquires, looking up from her book.

"Alright. I think she's interested in pursuing very friendly relations with the village." He says diplomatically.

"Yes, I'm sure she is. Particularly with you. You know what she's up to, don't you?" The ruby eyed woman asks bluntly.

Sasuke smirks. It almost sounded like Kurenai was jealous. Good. That soothed his pride somewhat.

He knew that he was being a bit petty, but Sasuke couldn't help it. The woman had definitely responded to his kiss. After doing so, she had treated him like an Academy Student with a crush. That still irritated him.

"She's trying to seduce me. Most likely she wants a bloodline for her village. Despite what you may think, I'm not some naïve kid. I've seen her type before and I haven't fallen for it yet. My father warned me about women like her." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Kurenai blinks. That was sad. Sasuke had only been seven when his family died. That meant that Fugaku had warned the last Uchiha when he was a very small child.

Was it really that much of an issue? Were women constantly throwing themselves at Uchihas in hopes of siring a child with a bloodline? Probably hoping to marry into the Clan's wealth or to have a powerful ninja for a child. Maybe both.

"How old where you when he warned you?" She questions him warily.

"I'd say about six. He said that there would be women who would be extra nice to me because I was an Uchiha and not to trust them. Don't worry. He didn't go into the more scandalous details." Sasuke informs her.

Now that she thought about it, she should have realized that was a possibility sooner. That was incredibly sad. Outside of their Clan, Uchihas didn't have any way of really knowing who was interested in them for THEM and who just wanted them for their bloodline. That was heartbreaking.

"Well good. I hate to say it, but he was probably smart to warn you about such things." Kurenai admits.

"I know that he was. Besides, I know the difference between when someone likes me for superficial reasons and when someone actually wants me for me. I've had more than my fair share of superficial at the Academy." He mutters as he heads to the kitchen to get a drink.

Kurenai sighs and follows him. She really wanted to clear the air with Sasuke. Things between them had been horribly tense since their kiss.

"Don't mind the drawing. It's something Mirai made while Hinata was watching her." She tells him.

"I see. She drew a cat. It's not bad for a toddler. I don't think. I don't really don't know what's considered artistically gifted for two year olds though." The last Uchiha observes.

"You can tell that it's a cat?" She asks in surprise.

Sasuke nods. Of course, it was a cat. It was circular, had something on its hindquarters and presumably those things were whiskers.

"It has whiskers and a tail. It's too small to be a dog. A cat is the next logical conclusion." He states with a shrug.

"That's a good point. It took me awhile to figure it out. You seem to like kids." She says.

Sasuke shrugs. He hadn't really been around them much before. Mirai was really the only young child that he had spent any considerable amount of time with. Though his affection for her might have more to do with who her mother was and her sweet temperament more than anything else.

"Not sure. I haven't really interacted with many kids. Mirai is a good kid though." He states.

"She calls you the Fire Man." Kurenai says.

"I can't argue with the accuracy of that. Lazy Bones certainly suits Shikamaru as well." The raven haired ninja observes with a smirk.

Kurenai tries not to laugh, but it was difficult not to. Sasuke was right about that and it was a relief to see this side of him. The relaxed side. Unfortunately, she knew that it was unlikely to last.

She had to know. It was going to drive her crazy, if she didn't. The only way to soothe her agitation was to find out what Sasuke thought of Yeshiva.

"Well you know that she's trying to seduce you. Do you like her?" Kurenai asks bluntly.

"There's not much to dislike. She's beautiful, strong, smart, and a Kage. If I really wanted, she'd probably take me back with her. This village has little else for me besides Naruto and my family's memories. That's not much of a life. It might be smart to just take what she's offering. I'm not stupid. I know why she likes me, but it could turn into genuine affection." Sasuke observes.

Kurenai bites her lower lip. She didn't know how two respond to that. Sasuke wasn't naïve. He knew what Yeshiva was up planning, but he was willing to at least consider going along with it.

Why wouldn't he? Sasuke had quite clearly laid out all the reasons why it would make sense for him to do so. It wasn't like he owed her anything.

"If you think anything could be genuine about that woman, then you must believe that Tsunade's breasts are naturally that size." Kurenai retorts.

That was when a butterfly flew into the room and landed on the top of her head. Sasuke wasn't sure why, but that was the final straw. Kurenai was obviously jealous. She wanted him. So why not act on it?

That butterfly had to be an omen. Surely, it was some kind of sane. Wasn't that how they had ended up kissing the first time?

"You don't have to be so jealous." Sasuke says smugly as he pins her against the wall.

"I'm not jealous." Kurenai protests and Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully at that.

She wasn't jealous and he was really a natural blonde. Right. Well at least now he knew that she returned his feelings on SOME level. Jealousy meant that she cared, right?

"Good because you don't have a reason to be and for the record, I like your breasts better than Tsunade's. They're not as big, but they're natural and more shapely." He informs her.

Kurenai was about to smack Sasuke for being a pervert, when he catches her hand and kisses her. Just like that, all her protests momentarily died. They died because the taste of his kiss was too good to resist.

She was right about the practicing. Sasuke was only getting better with each kiss. Of course, this was only their second kiss. Still she was reasonably confident that would be the case, if they exchanged a third.

Sasuke smiles into the kiss and explores every corner of her mouth. She still tasted like watermelon. She was still soft and warm. It was both soothing and erotic at the same time. A wonderfully contradictory experience.

"Sasuke, you really shouldn't kiss me like that or at all." She whispers, after breaking it.

"Why? You like it. You're jealous of her. You're NOT cheating on Asuma. You don't have anything to feel guilty about. He wouldn't want you to be alone." Sasuke whispers.

Kurenai sighs and briefly touches her lips. They were still tingling from the lingering sensation of his kiss. He was right, of course.

Asuma wouldn't want her to be alone. Though she very much doubted that he would have encouraged her to run into the arms of a former S Class Criminal Ninja. A ninja who had a history of abandoning the Leaf Village and leaving a lot of chaos in his wake.

"I know that I'm not cheating. That's not the reason. You've already suffered so much. It wouldn't be fair. Sasuke, you told me that I was your first kiss. You're still so new to this. You should be dating someone your own age. Someone who doesn't have a child or the emotional baggage that I bring to the table as a widow." She murmurs into his ear.

"Kurenai, it doesn't bother me that you're a widow. You understand what grief is like. You're like me in that way and I really don't mind Mirai. If those are your only excuses, that's not good enough." He tells her.

She bites her lower lip. How could she possibly articulate why this was a bad idea? The fact that he was standing right next to her only made it worse.

She could feel the warmth of his body against hers. His scent was surrounding her and making her a bit dizzy. That combined with the memory of his kiss was clouding her judgment.

"I know that this is a bad idea. I just can't really explain why, right now." She says.

"So you're saying that you just want to be friends." Sasuke replies skeptically.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. It really would be best for all of us. This isn't a good idea and I think that you're smart enough to realize that." The Genjutsu Mistress insists.

"And if I ended up taking Yeshiva up on her offer, you wouldn't be jealous? As my friend, you would be happy that I found a beautiful woman who caught my eye?" Sasuke asks.

He knew that was a low blow. Clearly, Kurenai was jealous. Well he felt the same way. He was competing against Asuma's memory in a way.

Asuma was a grown man. Kurenai wasn't his first love interest. He knew how to be in a romantic relationship and Sasuke just didn't. Oh he understood lust and marriage, but courtship was a somewhat elusive concept for him.

"I think we both know that I'd be lying, if I said I would be happy for you. It's irrational, but I would be jealous. That still doesn't mean that it's a good idea for us to be together." She says.

"I'd be jealous, if a man made advances towards you. When I was younger, I had…well I admired you. It's normal for children to develop feelings for one of their teachers at some point. I never thought much of it, but you've kissed me back twice." Sasuke says.

Kurenai blinks. That wasn't a good sign. For Sasuke, these weren't new feelings. He had liked her for awhile. He had just rationally concluded that a student and a teacher were never going to be together.

Now that she had kissed him back though, apparently Sasuke had changed his mind. It looked like he really wanted to pursue some kind of relationship with her. She didn't know whether to be flattered or terrified because there were a million ways this could go wrong.


	8. I Don't Snore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sasuke and Kurenai discuss their possible romantic relationship, Yeshiva continues trying to get closer to Sasuke and Kurenai indulges in a little female bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Kurenai couldn't really argue with that. She had kissed him back twice. Once could have been interpreted as an accident, but two times was a stretch. Sasuke would never fully believe that she was only interested in pursuing a friendship with him now.

"You still know that this is a bad idea." She informs him.

He was far too vulnerable to take advantage of while he was still trying to find himself again. That and she was a few years older. That age gap was hardly massive, but she had a daughter and Sasuke had only had four kisses.

Two of them had been with Naruto on accident. She didn't really count those. The other two had been with her. Though she supposed that was all largely irrelevant.

"I'm not completely oblivious. I know that there are a lot of reasons why this might not work and if you didn't want me, I'd let it go. You do though. I know you do. You wouldn't have reacted like this about Yeshiva, if you didn't feel something for me. Something more than just pity." He says.

"Sasuke, I never pitied you. I felt sympathy towards you, but never pity." Kurenai assures him.

The Genjutsu Mistress sees Sasuke flash her a rather skeptical look at that. Though after thinking about it for a moment, he nods. Well that was one disaster averted. If there was one thing that the last Uchina would hate, it was being pitied.

"I believe you. You're not the type of person to lie. Well at least not outside of a mission. I suppose you are still technically on a mission, but my feelings are not a matter of life or death. I'm not going to destroy the Leaf, if you reject me." He promises her.

Oh boy. Sasuke was worried about pity and fear. She didn't know which was worse. The fact that he expected her to feel sorry for him or that Sasuke legitimately thought that she was afraid of him.

That had been true to a degree, initially. Well more specifically, she was afraid of he could do. Things had changed though.

"I know that you wouldn't destroy the Leaf over rejection. You're not that petty or cruel." The ruby eyed woman replies.

Kurenai had lived with him for awhile now. She had see glimmers of the boy who had lost everything. She had seen him with Mirai. He had never actually tried to hurt her or any of their comrades. No, she wasn't scared of him. Not anymore.

"Good. What's the real reason then?" Sasuke asks.

Damn. He just had to ask that. She wasn't even really sure that she could articulate the real reason without insulting him. Saying that he was too young and emotionally fragile was a very fast way towards hurting him more.

She couldn't really use Mirai as an excuse. Sasuke seemed to get along well enough with her. He wanted to restore his Clan anyway. While she wasn't of his own blood, that probably wouldn't be a major issue.

"I worry that because I was the first woman that you've ever really expressed an interest in that you might have put me on some sort of pedestal. When I don't live up to that illusion, I might hurt you. I wouldn't mean to do it, but it's a very real possibility." She says.

"Kurenai, I don't believe in fairytales. I know that you're not perfect. I don't expect you to be. If you can overlook everything that I've done, I can overlook the fact that you snore or whatever little imperfections you seem to think that you have." He states.

That was sweet. Unexpectedly sweet coming from Sasuke, really. He apparently wasn't going to let this go. Not easily, anyway.

The sad thing was that part of her was actually tempted. He was attractive, intelligent, strong, and apparently more than willing to settle down. Kurenai knew better though. That or at least she SHOULD know better.

"I don't snore. You're still readjusting to life in the Leaf Village. Starting a new relationship in addition to that is taking on more than would be advisable." She tries again.

"I've done a lot of things that are not advisable. I went to the Sound Village. I fought with Naruto. I fought with Madara. I'm still alive. That's my Blessing and my Curse. I'm a survivor. If it doesn't work out, I'll live. I'm not the type to die from a broken heart, even if I might have come close a few times." The raven haired ninja says.

She winces at that. Well that much was certainly true. He was a survivor. Still she didn't want to leave a new scar on his heart.

That's when a purple butterfly flits over to her and lands on her nose. She could swear that it was actually staring her down. That wasn't possible though. Was it?

"It's the butterfly again." She muses.

It was the same butterfly as before. Was it one of Shino's? She ponders the matter for a moment before deciding that no, it likely wasn't. She would recognized this one, if Shino had used it before.

The color of its wings was too distinctive not to. She was hardly an expert when it came to insects, but Kurenai knew that this one would have stood out from even Shino's impressive army. No. It definitely wasn't one of Shino's.

"I swear that butterfly I spying on us." Sasuke mutters.

Kurenai was starting to wonder the same thing herself. Well she was still grateful for the little creature's distraction. It gave her time to think. She desperately needed that.

"Well I believe that we've discussed all the reasons this probably won't work and you seem quite determined to either ignore or rationalize them away. You're quite possibly the most stubborn man that I have ever met ." She says with a wistful smile.

"It runs in my family. Fire is a very stubborn element." He tells her.

"Yes, I'm beginning to see that. What would you say, if I told you that I would think about it? I have no desire to lead you on. The smart thing to do would be to say no. I'd likely be sparing us both a lot of heartbreak in the end, but I can't lie. It's a mutual attraction." The ruby eyed woman whispers.

Sasuke smiles. Well at least she was admitting now. She might not WANT to be attracted to him, but that didn't change the fact that she WAS. It was a start.

He'd never actually thought that Kurenai might actually want him that way. She did though. Well at least on a physical level. That was something though. (Well to him it was).

"I know that you don't. You can take as long as you want to think about it. While you do though, I want you to remember something." Sasuke says.

"What's that?" The Genjutsu Mistress replies somewhat warily.

Sasuke didn't think that she was afraid of him at this point. The young mother was more afraid of herself. Afraid of her feelings.

She likely had good reason to be. Kurenai might believed he was reformed, but most of the village and world likely didn't. She also had to factor her daughter into the equation. What would Mirai think when she was older?

"This. We might not fit logically together, but we can _fit_ together in other ways." He tells her as he lightly pushes her against the wall and kisses her once more.

Sasuke was beginning to understand the obsession with sex. To him, it had largely been something that was a duty. Something that he'd HAVE to do, if he wanted to revive his Clan one day. He had never really considered whether or not, he would like it.

That was changing now though. If the simple act of brushing their lips against each other felt this good, then it was only logical that more intimate acts would feel even better. He might never be as big a pervert as Kakashi and Jirayia were but, he was starting to work his way up the ladder of deviancy.

He didn't really know what he was doing. Sasuke just followed his instincts. Instinct told him to deepen the kiss and then he placed one hand on the back of her neck to push her closer to him. His other wraps around her waist as the kiss began to grow even more heated and Kurenai returns it.

"God help womankind in a few years. If you're able to make me forget myself already, I almost shudder to think of what you'll be capable of once you've had some more practice." She whispers, after breaking the kiss.

Sasuke smirks and decides to take that as a compliment. He must have done something right. He really know anything about romance outside of a few bedtime stories that his mother had told him when he was small, but he figured if the body was happy that the mind would eventually follow.

She enjoyed his touch. Sooner or later, she'd stop trying to be so infuriatingly logical about everything. Though privately, he realized that the entire situation was rather ironic.

"I'm more than willing to practice as much as you want." Sasuke whispers as his lips brush against hers.

He had spent years trying to get his female peers to be logical. The one time he wanted a woman to just act on instinct, the woman in question wanted to look before she leapt. In hindsight, Sasuke Uchiha realizes that he had likely jinxed himself.

He probably shouldn't get greedy. Kurenai would likely balk, if he tried to do more than kiss. Maybe, less was more in this case.

"I'm sure you would. You are a rather eager student." She muses as she caresses his cheek.

"Mhm. It'll be nice to have a teacher who isn't insane or an unpunctual pervert with a mask fetish." Sasuke informs her.

Humor might be a good way to go. Humor and some light flirting. Well at least he thought this was probably flirting. He'd never really tried before.

Most of the women his age considered flirting to be giggling and batting their eyelashes at him. It wasn't particularly enticing to him. Kurenai was probably better at such things.

"Well really other than the unpunctual thing, Kakashi is fairly normal. Granted, he's more open about his eccentricities. Still he's certainly far better than Orochimaru, isn't he?" She inquires.

"Almost anyone is better than Orochimaru. I'm not saying that I don't like Kakashi. I'm just saying that it will be nice to have a Sensei who is more…normal. It also doesn't hurt that said Sensei is beautiful." Sasuke says.

Women liked that. Didn't they? Being called beautiful. It seemed like something that they would like.

He really should try to learn more about what was normal behavior in romantic relationships. If it was just about animal attraction, well that he definitely had. Romantic dinners and things of that nature were going to take some getting used to though.

"Mmm who knew you could be such a flatterer. It's sweet, Sasuke. Really. I need to think with my head though." She tells him.

Oh Sasuke was definitely thinking with his head. It was just the "wrong" one. He tries his best to act as if that wasn't the case though.

"Of course. Goodnight, Kurenai." He says as he heads off to his room.

Sticking around and badgering her wouldn't produce the results he wanted. Trying to seduce her likely wouldn't work either. She was too smart to allow that to go much further than what'd they'd already done.

That and he while he would never admit it out loud, he wasn't sure what he would actually do. Oh he understood the basics. He wasn't an idiot, but he honestly had no idea what types of affectionate gestures she liked best.

"Well at least the butterfly decided to help me this time. " He says with a sigh as he curls up for bed and eventually falls asleep.

* * *

The next day, Kurenai frowns as she sees Sasuke leave. She knew that he had to though. Of course, he did. He was still Yeshiva's bodyguard.

The fact that she had consented to considering the possibility of a relationship with him, didn't change that. Sighing, she quickly checks on Mirai and tries to push those thoughts to the side for now. Unfortunately, that didn't go as planned.

"The more that you tell yourself not to think about something, the more that you will." She whispers to herself.

She could still feel his lips on hers. The taste of her kiss. His surprising sincerity when he tried to reassure her that it was alright.

That was ridiculous on its face. The fact that he had to reassure HER. She was the grown woman. He was still new to the ways of love. If anything, she should have been the one reassuring him.

"That's it. I need to talk to someone about this. Someone who isn't two." She says as she forms some clones and takes Mirai out for a walk in her stroller.

Maybe Anko would be able to help. While their methods of getting the opposite sex's attention were obviously drastically different, Anko was a peer. She was another adult. An adult who Kurenai hadn't taught. That was always a plus.

It didn't take her long to find the other woman. She was in the Ramen Shop. Perhaps not surprisingly, Anko was eating a Dango. (That woman loved Dangos almost as much as Naruto loved ramen).

"Anko, do you mind if Mirai and I join you for lunch?" She asks softly.

It was really as good an opening as any. She needed to talk to someone. Anko would have to do. Hopefully, the more sadistic woman wouldn't mind humoring her.

"Oh. Of course not. Awe. She's growing up so fast. I'll be terrorizing her in the Forest of Death before you know it." The other ninja says with a wink.

That wasn't exactly a pleasant thought. Kurenai remembered that set of Chunin Exams like it was yesterday. How could she now? Her team had been competing.

To say the least, Anko's instruction method was unconventional at best. At worst, it was outright traumatizing. Then again, that was likely what Sarutobi had been aiming for in that particular circumstance. In that case, mission accomplished.

"Yes, that's what I'm afraid of. Though that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about today. You're a ninja. So I assume that you can keep a secret. I need someone to talk to. Someone who isn't two." She says with a nervous smile.

That certainly got Anko's attention. Kurenai didn't miss the fact that Anko blinks in response to her opening. Oh boy. This might be tougher than she would thought.

She had to do it though. The Genjutsu Mistress knew without a shadow of a doubt that if she didn't talk to someone about this, she'd go insane. Anko seemed like the best option at the moment.

"Well, of course. It's not something that would jeopardize the safety of the village though, is it? Because if that's the case, you know that I can't. Anything else though and my lips are sealed. You have my word as a ninja." The other woman assures her.

"It won't jeopardize the safety of this village. Well at least, I don't think it wouldn't. It seems highly doubtful that it would, I mean. It's more personal in nature than professional." She whispers.

The fact that she had said personal and whispered, likely just further aroused Anko's curiosity. Curiosity could be a powerful force. It didn't matter what your occupation was, even ninjas couldn't always resist it.

"Alright. Shoot. What is it?" She asks.

"There is this man. He's a bit younger than me. He's of age, but it's a fairly significant gap. He's also made it quite clear that he has romantic feelings for me." The ruby eyed woman says.

Well if Anko's interest hadn't been perked before, Kurenai could see that they most certainly were now. The other woman' was watching her rather intently at the moment.

"Well that's not entirely surprising. You might be a widow, but you're a young one. So what are you asking me? Do you need advice for how to let him down gently? If that's the case, I'm not sure how much help I can be. Gentle isn't my style." The dark haired ninja replies.

"That's the thing. I don't entirely know that I I want to let him down gently. I know that it would be the wiser move. I should. He's so inexperienced when it comes to things like this. I was the first person that he ever looked at that way." Kurenai continues.

She could see that Anko was growing more and more fascinated by her tale. Who wouldn't? After all, she had essentially said that a man who was barely of age was lusting after her.

It didn't take a genius to realize what was going on in Anko's mind. The woman had quite the wild imagination. She was likely envisioning all sorts of scandalous scenarios that could make even Kurenai blush.

"That's sweet. I can see why you'd be wary though. Are you sure that it's not just something he'll outgrow? Most people eventually get over their first love." The other Leaf Ninja reasons.

" Yes, most people do. He's not most people though. He's a ninja. The man's been far more focused on becoming stronger than on dating." Kurenai explains.

"Ohhh. One of those strong, silent types. I gotcha." Anko says with a wink and Kurenai feels her face growing hot.

This was ridiculous. She wasn't some blushing Academy Student. It didn't matter what Anko thought. What mattered was her advice.

"Something like that. He gets along well enough with Mirai and doesn't seem to object to her. So that's important and he's a wonderful kisser. It's just he's already seen so much heavy combat because of the war. I'm afraid that he's potentially just latching onto whatever comfort he can. It's not that he's doing it maliciously, but I really don't want to accidentally break his heart. If this doesn't work out, that's a real possibility." The raven haired woman replies.

"Ah. Yes, I can see why that would concern you. Well he's a great kisser, a ninja, and is fine with your daughter. All ninjas have emotional baggage, Kurenai. The only ones who don't are the ones who are fresh out of the Academy. Sometimes, you have to take that leap. Who is it, if you don't mind me asking?" Anko asks.

Kurenai winces. Damn it. She had been afraid that her comrade would ask that question. It was only logical that she would though.

"I'd rather not say. I want to respect his privacy." She says.

"Hmm. It must be a rather juicy one. It's not Kiba or Shino, is it?" She inquires mischievously.

"What?! No! They're like my little brothers or sons. I could never feel for them that way!" She exclaims.

Anko laughs and nods head sympathetically. Kurenai could only sigh upon seeing this. Well she had gotten some advice. Now, she just had to decide whether or not she was going to take it.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke goes to see Lady Yeshiva. He knew that it was important to put his best foot forward with her. She was his first real mission since finding at least some semblance of his sanity again.

If he wanted to be taken seriously, Sasuke knew that he would have to prove himself. What better way to prove that he was trustworthy than by ensuring the safety of a foreign Kage? That would go a long way towards mending the numerous bridges that he had burned.

"Ah good morning, Sasuke. It's so good to see you again. Did you sleep well?" She asks pleasantly.

It wouldn't repair everything overnight. He wasn't that foolish, but it would be a start. He had to start somewhere.

Of course, there was one minor complication. His charge was trying to seduce him. Yesterday, that might not have been a bad thing. Today was different though.

"I slept well. I hope you did the same." He tells her.

Kurenai was considering his advances. She might not have said yes, but she hadn't said no. Again, it was a start. He would take what he could get.

"I slept alright. I must admit that it was a bit cold though. It's a shame to sleep alone in such a large bed." She says.

Sasuke blinks. This woman was apparently not a subtle creature. Right. He needed to remember that.

Yeshiva would make a fine companion, but she wasn't his first choice. That and if his first choice thought that he wanted Yeshiva, well Kurenai would have an easy reason to reject him. He didn't want that to happen.

"I'm sure that you can find someone to remedy that. I thought that it might be a good idea to take you on a tour of the village today. Show you around. That way you can familiarize yourself with everything." He offers.

"Oh yes. That's very thoughtful of you. I'd like that very much." She says and with that, the two of them head off.

She tries to hold his hand, but Sasuke somehow manages to politely avoid that. It was a close call. He wasn't really sure how he was going to manage this.

How as he going to balance his professional duties with his potential relationship with Kurenai? He didn't want the Kage to feel slighted, but he didn't want the Genjutsu Mistress to feel like he was being unfaithful. Well technically, they weren't together yet. Though that didn't matter to Sasuke.

"This is the Market District." He says.

It was the principle of the thing. Uchihas didn't cheat. Well they almost never cheated. If they did and they were caught, well they tended to get shunned rather quickly by the rest of the Clan for awhile.

It varied how long that might last. Really, it depended on how long they had been unfaithful. Who they had been unfaithful with and so forth. There were a lot of factors that had gone into such things. Not that it mattered much now.

"It's beautiful." She says with a smile.

He was the only one left. It wasn't as if anyone would shun him for being unfaithful. Well no more so than he was already being shunned, but it honestly wasn't in his nature.

Fugaku Uchiha may not have been the most affectionate father, but Sasuke had at least known that he was faithful to his mother. That was something. He'd follow his father's lead in this area.

"Yes, it is." He agrees.

That and he honestly had only ever really been attracted to two women. Kurenai and Yeshiva. Yeshiva was clearly and ambitious woman and Sasuke didn't fully trust her. Kurenai was a loving mother. Between the two of them, he knew which he preferred at the moment.

He doubted that was going to change anytime soon. Well unless Kurenai rejected him. Sadly, that was still a possibility.

"Are you alright? You're here with me and yet, your head seems a thousand miles away." Yeshiva inquires.

"Oh I'm fine. I'm just scanning our surroundings. It's unlikely that you'll be attacked, but that's no reason to get careless." He says.

"Of course." The Kage replies with a smile

Somehow, he'd get through this. Yeshiva would likely return to her village in a few days. If he could make it that long without a major incident, then maybe he and Kurenai would have a real chance. With that thought in mind, he proceeds to show the young woman around the village more.

After all, he had a job to do. That and he had to pass the time somehow. Playing the party of a tour guide wasn't necessarily a very seductive role. Which was fine by Sasuke. He only wanted to seduce one woman at the moment and her name wasn't Yeshiva.


	9. Some Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi continues to plot his matchmaking schemes as Sasuke surprises Kurenai in a way that makes Yeshiva furious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: Yeshiva is very self-centered and doesn't appreciate the concept of blended families. Obviously, Sasuke is perfectly fine with being involved with a mother. Yeshiva just doesn't see it that way. No offense is intended towards stepparents/children or adoptive parents/children. There are many loving families who have adoptive and stepparents/children in them.

Kakashi sighs as he looks out his window. Yeshiva walking around the village with Sasuke following dutifully behind her. Though he looked like a rabbit that had been cornered by a hawk.

In some ways, the silver haired knew that was a fairly accurate description. Sasuke had likely never met anyone like Yeshiva before. He was used to interacting with women who were roughly in his age group, plus or minus three years or so.

"Hopefully, she gives up quickly." He mutters to himself.

The TakiKage was in a completely different league. She was most certainly a grown woman and one who was far from shy. While Kurenai might have veered slightly on the more modest side of womanhood, Yeshiva didn't.

She was bold. If she wanted something or someone, the Kage wasn't afraid to make that fact known. That was a trait that Sasuke might find attractive or irritating, if the feeling wasn't mutual.

Neither reaction would be particularly good. That meant that it was up to Kakashi to come up with a suitable plan to get her out of there quickly. As much as he wanted to believe she'd be gone in a few days, he didn't.

"Kakashi, here are the reports that you asked for." Shizune says as she walks into his office.

"Thank you, Shizune. I'll have a look at them now." He says and with that, he takes the folder out of her hands and begins thumbing through the pages.

**_The Mizu Village is located on an Island Nation. Their Kage is known as the TaiKage and are highly isolationist. Not much is known about them._ **

**_What we do know is that their village has a tropical climate and that they make good use of the ocean surrounding them. They have many fishermen and pearl harvesters. Seafood is of course a staple of their diet. Taki also means waterfall and thus their Kage is named after the numerous waterfalls on their island._ **

**_The soil is also lush. It's good for farming and there is a fairly diverse ecosystem of plant and wildlife for a relatively small place. The village is largely considered to be almost entirely self-sufficient._ **

**_They do engage in trade now and then. Other than that and sending their ninjas to compete in various exams such as the Chunin Exams, little is known about them._ **

**_It is thought that they specialize primarily in Genjutsu as that seems to be their first instinct when in combat. Well at least from the few examples we have of them in combat._ **

**_Their economy is stable, but their numbers are small enough that they are not considered a threat by the Five Great Nations. That is also thought to be the case because it would be rather impractical for them to try to invade from the ocean. It is thought that the Mizu Village actually predates the Five Great Ninja Villages, but this has not been proven definitively._ **

"Interesting, but nothing I can particularly use." He says with a heavy sigh.

It all sounded too perfect really. Sasuke could marry Yeshiva and start over. Completely start over in a village where it was likely no one had heard of him.

He'd certainly be tempted by that offer. If his former student truly wished that, Kakashi wouldn't stand in the way. He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

"Things were much simpler back then." He says with a smile as he glances at an old photo of Team Seven.

Sasuke had wanted revenge on a Clan Slayer. Naruto had wanted to become Hokage, loved ramen, and had a crush on Sakura. Sakura had a crush on Sasuke which was apparently unrequited.

Other than Sasuke wanting to avenge his Clan, it had been the typical drama that he associated with young ninjas. Simple. Not even worth putting down his favorite book in most cases.

"And now a Kage is trying to seduce Sasuke." He groans.

That was anything, but simple. Sasuke had a chance to start over. Granted, it was going to take a long time for everyone to overlook the sins of his past. Still Sasuke was home and there was at least a chance.

Well there had been a chance anyway. The Hokage didn't really know what to do about the Taikage. Logically, he knew that he should encourage the match. It was a good one.

"But that would undo all the work I put into encouraging him and Kurenai." He observes thoughtfully.

It had all been going so well too. Sasuke even seemed to get along well with Kurenai's daughter. That was of course an important consideration for both of them.

Kurenai was a young mother. She wouldn't be with a man who didn't adore her daughter. Sasuke obviously wanted to restore his Clan. So in a way, Kakashi thought that this was nice practice for him.

"You know that you're being completely manipulative, right?" Pakkun asks.

"Oh yes, I realize that. It's for a good cause though." The Hokage says with a serene smile as he pats the Ninja Dog's head affectionately.

Putting them together on that mission was being manipulative. Pakkun was certainly right about that. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to regret it though.

Kurenai shouldn't be resigned to being a lonely widow for the rest of her life. Sasuke shouldn't be resigned to being lonely for the rest of his life period. She would be a calming influence on him and Sasuke well he could ensure that she didn't withdrawn into herself because of her grief.

"That's what they all say. I hope that this doesn't backfire on you." The canine says.

"I hope the same. I'm not completely naïve. Now that Yeshiva is here, I know that there is a very real chance that this might not work out. I do hope that isn't the case though." He says with a sigh.

Sasuke had always been the most complicated of his students. Sakura was easy to understand. She wanted love and to be a strong ninja. Naruto wanted to become Hokage and to protect his village. Sasuke was another matter entirely different matter.

He had achieved his first goal. Of course, that hadn't gone the way he planned, but at least now Sasuke knew the truth. The last Uchiha had helped them to win the war and had the chance to start over. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was a chance. What Sasuke wanted to do with that chance though was still something of a mystery.

* * *

Meanwhile Kurenai had made her way back to Sasuke's house with Mirai. He would likely be back soon. It was strange this was already starting to feel more like her home than the house she had shared with Mirai and Asuma did at this point.

"The dead never really leave. They're always with us." She whispers to Mirai as she settles her daughter down for a nap.

That house just felt so empty without him. It was just her and Mirai. It was strange how an almost completely uninhabited District could feel less empty. His presence just wasn't as strong here.

She could still feel him of course. Kurenai would always carry her fallen lover in her heart, but this wasn't a place that he had ever been. She couldn't remember seeing him walk through the kitchen door or smell him here.

"How I used to hate your father's cigarettes. Now, I miss them in a strange way." She states with a wistful smile.

"Smoking isn't really my thing. I hope that isn't going to be held against me." Sasuke says as he walks through the living room door.

She had a cradle in the living room and one in the bedroom she used. That was why Sasuke had so easily been able to sneak up on her. Though she knew that she was being ridiculous.

This was Sasuke's house. He could come and go as he pleased. Why should he bother to knock? Kurenai and Mirai were the guests here. Not him.

"No. I'm not going to hold that against you." She sighs.

Wonderful. Sasuke had overheard her speaking about Asuma. That was awkward. Whatever her relationship was with Sasuke, she felt that it should be kept separate from Mirai's father.

That wasn't to mean that she was going to lie to the last Uchiha about it, if he asked. Kurenai just saw no reason to throw it in his face. To Sasuke, she was apparently his first everything romantically. Sasuke wasn't her first.

"Good. They're bad for you. You know?" He says casually.

That was an important distinction. The other ninja wasn't an idiot. He was fully aware that Kurenai was not a blushing virgin. That didn't seem to bother him, but the last thing she wanted was for Sasuke to think that he was competing against Asuma's memory.

"Yes, I know. Mmm. I wasn't aware that you were so interested in becoming a medic though." She teases him lightly.

If she wanted this to work or at least maintain a cordial relationship, Kurenai decides it would be best to change the topic of conversation. Speaking of the dead when they were possibly starting a new relationship, didn't seem like a good idea. It felt like it would be dooming their relationship from the start, really.

"Me? A medic? I think we both know that isn't a good idea for obvious reasons. No one would trust me to treat them and my chakra is far too destructive." Sasuke says.

This was going to take awhile. The poor boy didn't even realize when she was joking. Then again, she doubted the Sound cared much about humor.

She mentally slaps herself for calling him a boy again. Sasuke might be younger than her, but he was clearly a man. A man who had fought against Madara at Naruto's side and they had actually won.

"Sasuke, it was a joke. While you certainly have the intellectual aptitude for such a profession, I don't think that it's suited to your personality. You're not patient enough." She informs him.

"You're right. Patience has never been my strong suit. Again, I blame Kakashi. He was always late. I guess I got tired of waiting." Sasuke taunts her with a smirk.

Oh good. So he did get the concept of humor. That was a very good sign. Maybe, they would get somewhere now. Once he could laugh again, the healing process would truly begin.

"Well in that case, I can't really blame you. What's that you have in your hand though?" Kurenai asks.

"These are for you." Sasuke says as he hands her something.

_On the way home, he decided to stop at the flower shop. He wasn't really sure what Kurenai was to him at the moment, but women liked flowers. At least that's what he had always been told._

_"Sakura is named after flowers. Ino owns a flower shop. Father used to get mother flowers." He reasoned to himself._

_In conclusion, women generally liked flowers. It was as far as he could tell, perfectly normal to get them for your lover. Well almost lover. (Though even that label was probably stretching it a bit)._

_"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Ino asked in shock when he came through the door._

_Now, Sasuke understood where the phrase dumb blonde came from. He was in a flower shop. What did the woman think that he was doing in a flower shop? Obviously, he was going to buy some flowers._

_This seemed like a perfectly logical conclusion to him. Why that very basic reasoning eluded Ino, he didn't know. Her test scores at the Academy had shown her to be reasonably intelligent. So why had she asked such a truly stupid question?_

_"I'm here to buy some roses." Sasuke told her._

_That was apparently the wrong thing to say. The last Uchiha learned that the hard way. Ino suddenly transformed from dense to a bloodhound. It was disturbing._

_"Really?! That's a great choice! Roses are really romantic! Who are you buying them for? That way I can help you choose what color and what kind!" The blonde said excitedly._

_Sasuke had never seen someone so happy about flowers before. He could only assume that it was because Ino now had a juicy piece of gossip to share with everyone. This was going to be annoying._

_He had only one option. Sasuke was going to have to lie. That was even more annoying because the young ninja hated lying._

_"I don't need your help selecting the roses. I want a dozen lavender ones. My mother liked lavender and I thought that it might be a good idea to brighten up the house more." He told her._

_Well that wasn't really a lie, he supposed. Mikoto did like lavender and it was to brighten up his house more. He was going to brighten up his house more by making Kurenai happy with the flowers. Ino didn't need to know that last part though._

_Really, it was none of her business. He was not required to discuss his personal life with someone just because he wanted to purchase something from them. That was just ridiculous. Didn't anyone in this village respect privacy anymore?!_

_"Oh well…that's good! Yeah. I have just the right roses for you then." The bubbly ninja said._

_Good. She bought it. Now, he could get the damn flowers and get out of there. He had no idea how his father had put up with this. Did every man get interrogated every single time he wanted to buy flowers or was this just because of his past?_

_He didn't know and that annoyed him. Sasuke decides to brush that though to the side for now though. He had accomplished his "mission" and that was the important thing._

"You got me flowers? Sasuke, that's sweet." Kurenai says with a smile.

That smile made it worth it. He could learn to tolerate Ino's nosiness, if it meant seeing the Genjutsu Mistress smile like that more often. Sasuke could learn to tolerate a lot of annoyances for her, actually.

"I'm glad that you like them." He says with a smile.

* * *

Elsewhere, Yeshiva sighs in her hotel room. Sasuke had gone back to check on his District. In reality, she knew exactly what was going on.

He was going back to check on her. They might not be lovers, but the way that his eyes followed the other woman spoke volumes. Sasuke was fond of this Kurenai.

"I either need to get his mind off of her through the usual means or I need to eliminate her." She whispers to herself as she glances in the mirror.

Objectively speaking, Yeshiva couldn't deny that the other woman was pretty. She could certainly see why Sasuke would be attracted to her. Though she was quite confident that she was clearly the more attractive woman between the two of them.

So it couldn't just be her looks that Sasuke found compelling. Well she supposed it could. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder and there was really now way of knowing what the young ninja viewed as attractive or not attractive.

"It doesn't matter. It takes more than a pretty face to keep a man's attention." She states to herself.

Certainly, a pretty face would get you a first glance. After that though, things got more complicated. Unfortunately, Sasuke was a complex individual.

He had suffered a lot. There was no way to fully tell what sort of impact that might have on his psychology, especially when it came to his view on romantic relationships. Before coming here, she had considered the possibility that he might have zero interest in such things outside of restoring his Clan.

"It seems that isn't the case though." She says with a s mile.

The way that he looked at that Jonin made that much clear. He could feel affection beyond just a mere physical level. Now, it was up to her to tap into that. It would be a challenge, but she was positive that she would manage.

Clearly, she was going to have to be more proactive about this. With that in mind, she puts on her best dress kimono and heads outside. She knew her way to the Uchiha District. It was simply a matter of getting there.

"Lady Yeshiva." She hears someone say.

Well it should have been a simple matter. Unfortunately, it seemed that pink haired ninja wanted her attention. As a Kage, she couldn't just ignore her. That would be rude and potentially sour relations between their two villages.

For now, she would humor the young woman. Hopefully, whatever she wanted wouldn't take too long. She needed to get to Sasuke immediately.

"Yes? How may I help you?" She inquires.

It was best to be polite. That might help her get whatever this was over with quicker. Every minute that she wasted was another minute for that damn seductress to sink her hooks into Sasuke deeper.

Maddening. That's what this was. It was maddening that she was being stopped for as of yet, no good reason.

"Lord Kakashi asked me to show you the hospital. He thinks that it would be good for you to become familiar with it. There might even be some medical trading going on and who knows, even transfer of medics." She says with a sweet smile.

That was adorable, really. Practical as well. Though she suspected that wasn't the only reason why Kakashi had put this slip of a woman up to giving her a tour of the hospital.

The silver haired ninja was conspiring against her! He wanted Sasuke to fall for the Genjutsu Mistress! Kakashi had been Sasuke's instructor at one point and likely fancied himself as some sort of second father to the man.

"That sounds like an excellent idea." The dark beauty says, lying with ease.

Lying was something that was easy for her. A ninja must see through deception and be able to perform it themselves. Honestly, she thought of being a politician as similar to being an actress.

She was playing a role. Yeshiva just decided long ago that she would do an excellent job at playing it. So far, no one had ever been able to see through her. Well no one, except for Kakashi. Damn him!

"Great." Sakura says as she leads the other woman off to towards the hospital and Yeshiva tries her best not to sigh.

Well it would likely only be for a couple of hours. Surely, that wasn't enough time for the ruby eyed woman to actually get anywhere with Sasuke. Ruby eryes.

Hmm. Perhaps that was the reason. Her eyes were almost as red as the Sharingan. The last Uchiha might merely be attracted to her because she reminded him of the family that he had lost at such a young age.

"So our hospital system really is state of the art. We definitely pride ourselves on it." Sakura says as she shows her around.

Three hours later and Yeshiva was amazed. She was amazed that she hadn't strangled the other woman. Honestly, did she have to show her every nook and cranny of the hospital? It had been an utter nightmare.

It would have been a nightmare, even if she wasn't thinking about how to win Sasuke over before Kurenai could. It was just so long and dreadfully dull. The woman had a habit of explaining every little detail and that was just annoying.

"Well thank you. That was a very thorough tour. I'm afraid that I simply must be going though." Yeshiva says.

"Of course. Good night, Lady Yeshiva. I hope you sleep well." Sakura says.

That was tempting. She was exhausted after dealing with such a thorough tour guide for a good part of her day. Still she couldn't allow herself to do so. She needed to find Sasuke.

"Thank you. I wish you pleasant dreams as well." The dark beauty says with a smile as she heads off.

It was a fake smile, but she highly doubted that Sakura would be able to tell the difference. Not that she particularly cared at the moment. She had to find Sasuke as soon as possible. That was her top priority! Not the feelings of some medic.

* * *

Fortunately, she was able to find the Uchiha District easily after that. Yeshiva treads slowly in the now mostly empty District. It felt like a ghost town. It was as if the very ground that she was walking on was somehow hallowed.

"I'm being ridiculous." She mutters to herself.

Ghosts didn't exist and if they did, Sasuke certainly wouldn't still be living here. He would have moved somewhere else. Yes, she just needed to think about this logically and rationally.

Speaking of rationally, it was easy to tell which of the houses was Sasuke's. It was the only one with lights on. She smiles and heads there.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Yeshiva mutters in disgust when she looks through the living room window.

Sitting on the couch was Sasuke and Kurenai. A few feet away from them was a toddler's crib. That wasn't what was disturbing though.

What was disturbing is what they were doing on that couch. Oh it was nothing too scandalous. Not yet anyway. At the moment, it seemed to be only kissing and a little caressing.

"Damn her. She's already got her hooks into him." Yeshiva mutters.

Why Sasuke was attracted to the widow was still beyond her. She was beautiful and had eyes similar to his Clan's, but she was a widow with a child. Did Sasuke really want to invest all that time and energy into raising a child that wasn't even his?

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Kurenai asks, after breaking the kiss.

She wasn't exactly sure how, but she had ended up kissing Sasuke again. It started out as an innocent kiss on the kiss. A thank you kiss and somehow that had turned into a series of not so innocent kisses on the couch.

Kurenai was fortunate that Sasuke was either a gentleman or just didn't know how to initiate more than that. Likely, it was a combination of both. She didn't think that he was naïve in such matters, but he had never been in a real relationship before. It was likely he was waiting for her to indicate she was willing to go further.

"I didn't hear anything." Sasuke tells her.

Maybe, she had imagined it. Perhaps it was her subconscious telling her that she was allowing herself to be seduced far too easily. Whatever existed between them really shouldn't go much further at this point.

"I must have imagined it." The Genjutsu Mistress decides.

"Yeah." Sasuke agrees and he goes back to kissing her.

Alright. Well just kissing then. Nothing else. She could enjoy his kisses for now. It wasn't like anyone was going to find out. They were completely alone in this District save for Mirai and the butterfly. Well at least that's what Kurenai was thinking as she returns his kiss, anyway.


	10. Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke considers himself something of an expert in color psychology and Yeshiva begins to fight dirty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: Yeshiva is pretty devious in this chapter. Again, no offense is intended to any blended families. This woman is just ruthless when she is going after something (or someone) that she wants.

She really should know better than this. Kurenai knew that. There were still a million reasons why entering any sort of romantic relationship with Sasuke was playing with fire, but some reason her body and heart just hadn't received that message yet.

Most likely because he was a naturally gifted kisser and apparently, had just discovered you could breathe through your nose while you kissed. That meant that now he had achieved Kissing Endurance. The female population was now doomed.

"We really should stop. I don't think that we should give that butterfly such a show." She whispers between kisses.

Sasuke was certainly attentive and enthusiastic. Eager to please would have been an understatement. He was also now beginning to experiment with the use of his tongue.

She should probably cool him off for now. Kissing was one thing, but it wasn't a good idea to go much further at this point. That was especially so when she remembered her daughter was in her crib, napping.

"I think the butterfly is a voyeur. He'd likely enjoy the show." Sasuke counters.

"What makes you think the butterfly is a he?" Kurenai asks in amusement.

"It's a fifty-fifty shot. I just associate purple with royalty. The color that ancient kings wore. It seems masculine to me. It could go either way though. You'd look lovely in purple lingerie, I'm sure." Sasuke says with a smirk.

_Down, boy! Down!_ Sasuke might still be an innocent, but apparently the last Uchiha was a fast learner. It was just as well, really. He did have a Clan to restore.

Speaking of that, she should probably set down some ground rules. At this rate, the raven haired man was going to talk her into behaving very foolishly. As the adult in this relationship, it was up to her to ensure that didn't happen. Well at least not for awhile.

"Well it's fascinating to see your Color and Gender Psychology." Kurenai says, hoping to change topics.

She needed to do so. The Genjutsu Mistress needed to steer the conversation back to something safer. Color and gender were safer topics, right? They had to be.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to get bored of me." Sasuke tells her.

"Sasuke, I don't think that it's possible to get bored of you. You're many things, but boring isn't one of them." Kurenai replies as she caresses his cheek.

The last Uchiha was a series of contradictions. He had seen more pain in his short life than most people would in their entire lifetimes. He was capable of leveling entire villages and likely even mountains, but there was also another side to him.

A lonely boy. A lonely boy who had everything taken from him. She couldn't imagine such a fate for her own daughter. In a way, her heart bled for him. Sadly, she knew that saying such things would only serve to make him close himself off from her. So wasn't going to make it a habit to voice such thoughts.

"Good. So is purple your color?" He asks with a smirk.

"You're impossible. I wear purple sometimes. Other colors as well. It's a very rare woman who only wears one color lingerie." The Genjutsu Mistress informs him.

"Good to know." Sasuke says with a smirk as he pins her lightly against the couch.

She could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment. God help her. She was a grown woman and blushing. Clearly, Sasuke wasn't attacking her. He was trying to initiate something further than kissing though.

"Sasuke." She calls out his name warningly.

How much further, she wasn't entirely certain. Kurenai doubted that he would actually try to become her lover this early on. He was too young. Too inexperienced to be that bold. Well at least that was her hunch.

On second thought, this was Sasuke Uchiha. Age had very little to do with his actions. It was possible that he might be an early bloomer in regards to sexuality as well.

"Let me guess the other colors and you can tell me, if I'm right or not." He whispers into her ear.

Kurenai feels herself shiver. The feeling of his breath against her skin was incredibly erotic. That combined with the seductive purr to his voice meant that he just wasn't fighting fair.

"Alright." The ruby eyed woman replies against her better judgment.

"Definitely black. It's a confident color. I think you're a confident person in private. Once you aren't worried about what everyone else will think." Sasuke says as he kisses her forehead.

Well she did have some black in her collection. That wasn't really a hard guess though. Most women did. It was a common color. Though she couldn't disagree with his assessment.

"I have some black. Yes." She answers him.

"Red. It'd go well with your eyes, hair, and fair skin color. A passionate color. You hide it most of the time. You're a calm person in public. I don't think you are when you feel secure though." Sasuke says as he kisses her cheek.

Another good guess. Once again, red was a common color. So it wasn't entirely surprising that he had guessed that color. Still Sasuke was getting rather suggestive with his theories. She should probably nip this in the bud.

"Yes, I have some red. That's enough psychoanalyzing my lingerie choices for today though." The Genjutsu Mistress insists.

"You sure? I had a lot more guesses though. White. It's a very unassuming color. Submissive. Innocent. I think that you prefer to let other people take the reigns. You can lead, when you have to. I just don't think that's your default state." The Uchiha continues as he places a soft kiss against her neck.

Ohhh. That just wasn't fighting fair. Her neck was ridiculously sensitive. Suddenly, it was rather hard to focus as a contented sigh escapes her lips.

"There's some white in there as well. Though I think you may be reading too much into color choices. Sometimes a rose, is only a rose." She informs him.

"Sometimes. I know that isn't the case here though. I also suspect that you have some pink lingerie. I normally don't really like pink. For you, I'd make an exception. In some ways, it's even more submissive than white, though more playful." He continues on as he kisses her.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement and wraps her arms around Sasuke's neck. Well perhaps a little more kissing wouldn't hurt. It didn't seem that he was going to push things much further at the moment. She might as well enjoy the attention.

"Mmm I might have one or two pink items." She admits, after breaking the kiss.

"I thought so." Sasuke says smugly and Kurenai couldn't help, but laugh.

There was something absurdly cute about his smugness at the moment. It was like a puppy that had managed to catch the stick or found the slippers. There were times when it was easy to forget how young he was and then moments like this would remind her.

"You missed your calling in the Interrogation Unit." She points out.

"No. I might have been good at it, but I wouldn't have liked it. I've seen far more ugly truths in this lifetime than I ever wanted to. I'd rather focus on more beautiful things. Like you." Sasuke tells her.

She smiles. He could be sweet. Though she suspected that the last Uchiha wasn't trying to be.

"Well I'm certainly flattered to be the focus of your undivided attention." She whispers.

Just then Mirai wakes up and looks around in confusion. That's when she looks out the window and starts pointing at it. The toddler seemed convinced someone was there.

"Well…mostly undivided." Sasuke says with a sigh as he gets off of Kurenai.

Immediately, he walks over and checks on Mirai. He didn't see any physical injuries. Deciding that she was safe, he looks out the window.

"Mirai, are you alright?" The young mother asks as she rushes over to her daughter.

"I fine. Someone there! Someone there!" The child exclaims over and over again.

Sasuke continues looking, but he didn't see anyone. Maybe, Mirai had just had a nightmare. It was possible.

"I don't see anyone. I'd go and look, but I don't really want to leave the two of you behind. On the off chance that she actually saw something, you'll both be safer with me." The raven haired ninja reasons.

"That's true." Kurenai agrees.

What were they going to do when he had to go off and guard Yeshiva though? She was a Jonin and competent in her fighting abilities. That didn't meant that she relished the thought of having to fight and protect her daughter though. That would give any opponent an advantage of her.

"When I'm not here, I'll leave some clones and have Aoda keep an eye on things." Sasuke assures her.

Well that was better. She still didn't like it, but that was certainly better than before. Kurenai could only hope that it wasn't some psychopath with a grudge against Sasuke for all the wrongs he'd committed in the past.

The man was trying to move on with his life. Sasuke was trying to become the person that he was meant to be. Not just be a creature of strife. That he had been for so much of his life.

* * *

 

Meanwhile Yeshiva rushes out of the Uchiha District. She was careful to hide her tracks and chakra signature. The last thing that she needed was for Sasuke to realize that she had been spying on him.

"Even if it is true." She mutters to herself.

How could she had been so foolish? The child had seen her. Well the only saving grace that she had at the moment was that the brat was a toddler.

No one would believe her. That's assuming the child could even articulate what she had seen. It seemed unlikely, that she would be able to. One never knew though.

"That's the most unsettling thing about children. They have a way of surprising you and it's almost impossible to judge them solely on their age." She grumbles to herself.

Some children were gifted and others weren't. She could only hope that this child wasn't gifted verbally and with a good memory. That was her best chance.

"Of course, I could always deny it." The dark beauty whispers as she heads back to her hotel room.

Denial would make sense. It wasn't like the child would be able to prove that it was her. As long as Sasuke and Kurenai didn't see her enter or leave the Uchiha District, she should be safe.

"I can't believe this." She seethes, once she reaches her hotel room and locks the door behind her.

The images just refused to stop playing in her head. Sasuke kissing that damn seductress. Rationally, Yeshiva knew that she had no reason to be angry. After all, Sasuke wasn't her lover. Not yet.

It was only natural that a young man would seek out the affections of a woman. A woman that he likely viewed himself as having things in common with. They were both ninjas and from the same village. That alone could be the foundation of a strong bond.

"One that I'll simply have to break up though." The woman growls.

It couldn't be a very old relationship. If it was a known fact that Sasuke was involved with Kurenai, she would have known by now. That would have been the talk of not only the Five Great Nations, but also the Island Nations.

A new relationship was easily broken though. Perhaps, she should simply remind Sasuke that Mirai wasn't his daughter. Kurenai might not want another child for quite some time.

"He's also going to be competing against the memory of her previous lover. The toddler serves as a reminder that he didn't win her heart first and for someone of Sasuke's age, that can be very difficult to accept." She thinks out loud.

She could easily prey on that insecurity. Yeshiva merely needed to plant the seeds of doubt. They would blossom with ease, especially considering the fact that they were speaking of such a young man. Young men were more prone to insecurities.

* * *

 

The next day, Sasuke wakes up and takes a shower. He was heading to the kitchen to find himself something to eat quickly before heading off for bodyguard duty, when he sees Kurenai. She was making pancakes.

Well that was an understatement. The woman was making lots of pancakes. Every kind of pancake imaginable. He had never seen so many in his entire life.

"Were you expecting an army?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

"I just thought that it might be nice to have breakfast together, before you had to leave." Kurenai tells him.

"I helped!" Mirai says excitedly and Sasuke snorts in amusement when he sees the girl was smacking a bowl filled with pancake batter around. (A lot).

That was ridiculously cute. Cute wasn't really a word that he used often, but he supposed that it was okay. After all, he was describing a two year old.

"I can see that. You did a very good job." Sasuke tells her as he messes up her dark locks.

The girl had dark hair and red eyes like her mother. She could have passed for an Uchiha child. Maybe, that made it easier to bond with her on some level. That and the girl was just practically a bundle of happiness. Seldom did he see the toddler upset about well anything.

Mirai beams at the praise. Sasuke could scarcely remember a time when he was that innocent. When a single compliment could make your face light up like that.

"Yes, she did. Did Lady Yeshiva say how long she was going to be staying in the village?" Kurenai asks "innocently."

So that's what this was about. Kurenai was jealous of Yeshiva. He knew it was childish, but on some level that pleased him.

It meant that she thought other women would find him desirable. Not just the girls in his age group. Though he knew that was a bit unfair. They had fought in the war as well. Tenten, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and the like were also women now. He just didn't see them that way though.

"She didn't say. You don't have anything to worry about. She'll leave eventually and I have you." He says as he sits down and begins eating.

They had made a mountain of pancakes. He should probably eat one or two. It would be rude not to do so. His mother used to get upset when they barely touched their food and Sasuke could only assume that Kurenai was the same way.

_"Fugaku, are you alright?" Mikoto asked in concern._

_"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" The Uchiha Patriarch replied as he stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth and was heading towards the door._

_Sasuke was only about six. He knew when his mother wasn't happy though and right now, Mikoto Uchiha definitely wasn't happy. Were his parents having some sort of fight?_

_"You barely touched your breakfast." The dark beauty pointed out._

_"That's because I have a lot of work to get to at the station today. I don't really have time. It's wonderful as always, My Love. I'm sure that Itachi, Sasuke, and you can manage without me. I'll be home for dinner though." He said as he kissed her forehead._

_Mikoto looked less than convinced. Sasuke didn't really understand why she was upset about him not eating. Father said he'd be home for dinner._

_"You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" She asked._

_"Of course, I would. I have no secrets from you." He said as Itachi walked into the kitchen._

_Sasuke watched curiously. His mother seemed to be calming down now. Sometimes, women were strange. He didn't really understand them. The smallest things could upset them._

_"Sasuke, Itachi, let this be a lesson to each of you. Always make sure to at least sample some of your wife's cooking or else she'll fret like a mother hen." He chuckled._

_Mikoto grumbled and swatted at him. Fugaku seemed to find great amusement in this reaction and kissed her cheek, before he walked out of the door. Just like that, Sasuke knew that it wasn't a real fight. It was more of a play fight than anything, really._

"I'm glad to hear it." Kurenai says and Sasuke nods as he eats another pancake.

It was best to just eat them. They were good, anyway. That and doing so would likely prevent her from getting even more nervous.

Sasuke wasn't Naruto. He wasn't oblivious. He could read between the lines. Kurenai felt threatened by Yeshiva and she responded by making lots of food.

"Mhm. So we'll talk when I get back." He says, after finishing and he kisses her cheek.

"Yes. I think that would be a good idea." Kurenai agrees.

Sasuke nods and bids farewell to Mirai, before he heads off. Well at least Kurenai was jealous of Yeshiva. That meant she cared. She had a "scandalous" discussion with him.

All in all, he figured those were good signs. Now, the last Uchiha just had to wait for Yeshiva to leave an everything would be fine. It would likely take some time for Kurenai to completely get used to the idea of being with him, but that was okay.

"I can be patient." He mutters to himself as he bounds off towards Yeshiva's hotel room.

* * *

 

He really didn't want to go there. It was just going to make the Genjutsu Mistress more anxious, but the ninja didn't really have a choice. He had accepted the mission and that meant that Sasuke was going to see it through to the end.

With that in mind, he knocks on the door. Not surprisingly, the Kage opens it almost immediately. What was surprising was the red lacy nightgown she was wearing.

"Good morning. I can wait until you're dressed. I didn't realize you were still getting ready for the day." Sasuke says as he turns around to give her, her privacy.

Sasuke would be lying, if he said that he wasn't attracted to her. The raven haired man definitely was. She was certainly a beauty, but she wasn't Kurenai.

"Oh it's alright. After all, you're my bodyguard. You're a professional. Besides, I'm more covered at the moment than I would be at the beach." She tells him reassuringly.

"That's very reasonable of you." The other ninja says.

He wished that it was Kurenai offering to "flash" him in such a fashion. It was the Uchiha Curse, he supposed. Well other than the Curse of Hatred.

The men in his family were just forever doomed to be chased by women that they either didn't want or couldn't have. It was a cruel irony of biology. Whatever. She'd be gone soon.

"Speaking of reasonable, I think that it's sweet you're helping that Genjutsu User with her toddler. Though I imagine you'd prefer to have children of your own one day." She says.

The two weren't mutually exclusive and that was hitting below the belt. Mirai was sweet and it wasn't Kurenai's fault that she had fallen in love with someone before he was even of age. That was fighting damn dirty.

"Naturally. It's not a hardship though. Mirai is practically an angel." Sasuke says with a shrug.

It was likely best to be as casual as possible about this. The last thing that he needed was for a Kage to get jealous of Kurenai. That could result in a fight that no one was interested in having.

Sasuke was certain that he was more than a match for Yeshiva, if it came down to it. He still didn't want an international incident though. So for now, he had to play nice.

"I have to commend you for your empathy. Most men wouldn't be able to do it. Most men wouldn't want to compete with the memory of her dead lover and to raise a child that isn't their own." She continues.

She was vicious. Yeshiva looked lovely in that lacy little number, but right now she was being rather ugly. She was showing her ugly face.

This was just cruelty. She had to know that. Sasuke was starting to feel a little unnerved. Had this crossed the line from infatuation to an obsession? It was starting to look that way.

"Most men are insecure then. I do like to give my gender a little more credit than that though." He retorts.

It was hard to keep to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Sasuke wasn't entirely certain that he managed it. He was trying though.

Yeshiva certainly wasn't making it easy for him. The sooner he got out of here, the better. The last Uchiha was starting to wonder just how long he could refrain from losing his temper.

"Mmm I never knew you were such an optimist." Yeshiva replies sweetly.

Itachi would be better at this. Itachi would know how to handle a woman like this. Sasuke was used to dealing with girls batting their eyelashes at him, but this was on a completely different level.

This might actually be dangerous. He was going to have to do something about this situation. Sasuke could foresee that at this rate, it was going to spiral out of control.

"I have my moments. Perhaps, you should finish dressing and I'll take you to see Kakashi. He mentioned wanting to speak with you about something the other day." Sasuke offers.

Taking her to see Kakashi seemed like the easiest way to get some distance between them. Surely, the woman wasn't actually going to try to seduce him in front of another Kage. She couldn't be that far gone. Could she?

"Of course. I'll just be a moment then. It's always an honor to speak with the Hokage." Yeshiva says.

Once again, she spoke a little too sweetly. It was obvious that Yeshiva hated Kakashi. She also hated Kurenai and that meant that Sasuke had to be on his guard. It seemed that things had already begun to spiral, but maybe he could still manage to get them under control before it was too late.


	11. Absolutely Impossible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Kurenai's relationship becomes ever more official as Kurenai bonds with Anko some more and Yeshiva returns to her village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Three days later, Yeshiva paces. This couldn't be. This simply couldn't be. She was being usurped by a widow! A widow with a toddler at that!

"Perhaps a change in tactics is in order. Sasuke is getting rather suspicious of my motives." She mutters.

That might do it. Absence made the heart grow fonder and once the glow of a new relationship wore off, Sasuke would remember that he had other options. Other options that came with significantly less baggage.

With that in mind, Yeshiva goes to visit Kakashi again. She was becoming far too familiar with that man's office. Still it was a necessary evil.

"Good morning, Lord Hokage." She says pleasantly.

"Good morning, Lady Yeshiva. I trust that you slept well." He offers pleasantly.

It was that damn fake smile of his underneath that stupid mask. That's what irritated her to no end. It was as if the other ninja saw through her every thought and was less than impressed.

Well that didn't matter. She would show him in the end. In the end, she was going to take Sasuke back to her home and secure a bloodline for her village. They would see who was laughing then!

"Very well. Thank you." The Kage lies through her teeth.

She hadn't slept well in days. Not since it became apparent that the Genjutsu Mistress was actually legitimate competition. What if he actually fell in love with the woman?

"Good. How may I help you?" The Hokage inquires.

"Well I just wanted to let you know that I shall be returning to my village. I've been in the Leaf for awhile and it's a truly wonderful village. Still I can't lie. I miss my own home. It's about time that I returned to it." Yeshiva answers him.

Surely, Sasuke and Kurenai would quarrel in her absence. The other woman was experienced in the affairs of love and she was a grieving widow. Thankfully, the handsome Uchiha was still a novice in love and likely wouldn't know how to comfort Kurenai in her grief.

He would most likely move too fast. She'd shut him out and then, she would be there to pick up the pieces. That was how Yeshiva would win his love (or at least his affections).

"Ah well I am sorry to hear that. It was a pleasure getting to know you and I have high hopes that our villages will be allies in the future. Though I cannot begrudge anyone for missing their home." The CopyCat Ninja says.

Most of the time, Yeshiva didn't mind playing these games. These political games. Saying one thing, while you meant another was just another day for her. Thought here were times when such pretenses were exhausting.

This was one of those times. Thankfully, Sasuke seemed a direct sort. He said whatever was on his mind and that was that. In that regard, he was nothing like his former Sensei.

"Thank you. I share your hopes for an alliance between our people. I believe that there is much that we can learn from each other." The dark beauty says with a sly smile.

"Of course. Well I shall have Sasuke escort you to the outskirts of the village. I presume that you have already arranged for transportation?" Kakashi inquires.

Ha. The man had a lot of gall. He was actually pretending that he cared about her safety. That was quite amusing, really.

"Thank you and naturally. One should always be prepared for anything and traveling is no exception." The TakiKage replies.

* * *

A short while later, Sasuke arrives at the Kakashi's Office. He raises an eyebrow and Yeshiva smiles. It was nice to know that he could communicate without words. That was an important skill to have, when one was ruling over a village.

"Lady Yeshiva is returning to her home. I told her that you would escort her to the gates. Once she's there, her party will greet her and take her to the newest port." Kakashi explains.

"Of course. Lady Yeshiva, are you ready?" Sasuke asks as he offers her his arm.

It was the polite thing to do, but the gesture still made Yeshiva happy. He wasn't adverse to touching her. That was certainly a positive step in the right direction.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm always ready." She tells him with a flirtatious wink.

"I'm sure that you are." Sasuke states as he leads her out of the Hokage's Office and towards the Gates.

The TakiKage knew that it was critical to use this time wisely. She might never get this chance again. That's she was easily able to both ignore the villagers who were staring at them as they continued their trek and smile at them.

Smiling and waving were important in situations like these. It was important to endear herself to the people of the Leaf Village. After all, it was important for Sasuke's people to like her. That would make him like her more.

"Thank you, for everything. I don't think that I would have felt nearly as safe in the Leaf without your protection." She whispers to him softly.

"It was my pleasure. Be careful on your way back to your Nation." Sasuke says.

Hmm. That wouldn't do at all. Sasuke's tone was far too businesslike for her liking. She was going to have to change that.

"I will be sure to do so. I would like to write to you, if that's alright. I understand that you're starting a relationship with the Genjutsu Mistress. She's your first love. Is she not?" Yeshiva asks.

Sasuke eyes the Kage warily. This was completely out of character for her. Yeshiva had been trying to talk him out of seeing Kurenai until now. Now, it almost sounded like she wanted to help him pursue Kurenai. It didn't make any sense.

"I'd rather not mix personal matters with professional ones. Though I'm certain that you'll likely do some digging and confirm your suspicions. Yes, she is my first love." Sasuke says.

First and only, if he had anything to say about it. Kurenai was beautiful, strong, kind, and a good mother. Not to mention, she was an amazing kisser. He didn't really see what more, he could want.

He didn't really deserve her, but the woman was at least considering returning his feelings. She kissed him like she did. Kurenai even had her kid help her make pancakes for him. That was something, right?

"You don't need to sound so suspicious. I'll admit that I wanted it to be me, but I'm happy for you. You're new to the Game of Love though. Kurenai has experience that you just don't have. I can understand how that might make one feel self-conscious and women can be rather confusing creatures at times. I should know. I am one, after all." Yeshiva tells him.

That much was definitely true. He had seen enough of Yeshiva to know that without a shadow of a doubt. Sadly, Sasuke wasn't an idiot.

He had seen glimpses of another side. Another side beyond the beauty. Underneath she was ruthless. He could be ruthless as well. So he didn't hold that against her, but he didn't want a ruthless lover.

"That you are. We can write if you want, but I warn you. I'm a boring conversationalist. Naruto refers to me as an antisocial bastard. You'll likely get tired of conversing with me in a short time. I won't take it personally, when that happens." Sasuke says.

"Oh. I doubt that very much. You strike me as anything, but boring. I do hope to see you around soon. Have a good day, Sasuke." She says, once they reach the Gates.

"Alright. I warned you though. Stay safe." Sasuke calls out to her as the woman makes her way to her guards.

Yeshiva nods at him and waves farewell. With that, Sasuke sighs and heads back into the village. She was gone now, but he was going to have to write her. This might not end well.

* * *

Elsewhere Kurenai was doing some dishes and Anko was watching in amusement. The Genjutsu Mistress doubted that her friend spent much time on domestic chores and she was likely getting a kick out of watching her do so.

"I have to admit, I never suspected that it was Sasuke. You're definitely taking a walk on the wild side." The other ninja teases her.

Kurenai feels her face heat up at that assessment. As much as she wanted to deny that, she couldn't. Sasuke was wild. The most generous assessment was that he was like a feral cat.

In theory, he could be tamed. It was just highly unlikely. He was used to being on his own and surviving on his own. It was rare for the ninja to trust anyone and yet, he was opening up to her.

"Yes, I know. I didn't plan for it to happen. It just did." She admits.

Anko was smart. She was also a highly curious individual. That combination of traits had made the other woman follow her. When Anko saw that she was heading to the Uchiha District, she had quickly put two and two together.

"Well I can't lie. He's very handsome. Do you really think that he's stable enough for a relationship though? I'm not really sure that he's the sort that will settle for a fling. He strikes me as an all or nothing sort." Anko warns her.

"You're right. He's an all or nothing sort. He's different when we're alone though. He acts his age. Like a man who is pursuing his first love. He's attentive and flirtatious. Almost outrageously so." She mumbles the last part with a deep blush staining her face.

She probably shouldn't have mentioned that last part. Anko would be on her like a dog with a bone now. It had just slipped out though.

"Mmm well you're lucky there is a toddler in the room. You know what small children are like. They're like parrots. They tend to repeat everything that you say. So I'm not going to ask what I want to. You can tell me how outrageously later." The other woman says with a wink.

"Anko, we aren't a pair of giggling Genin anymore. We shouldn't Kiss and Tell." Kurenai says.

She was so caught up in her conversation with Anko, that Kurenai didn't sense Sasuke. She didn't sense him coming back into the house or hear the door opening. That's why she squeaked when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and whirls around, ready to defend herself.

"I don't really mind, if you Kiss and Tell. Well as long as it's good things that you're telling." Sasuke informs her.

Kurenai doubted that she had ever blushed more in her life than she was at that moment. She couldn't believe this. Sasuke had managed to sneak up on her so easily because she allowed herself to be distracted and he had overheard everything!

"Good to k-know and yes, all g-good things. How long have you been standing there?" The Genjutsu Mistress asks.

She could only hope that he hadn't heard all of their conversation. Kurenai would die of humiliation, if that was the case. Knowing that, all she could do was wait for his answer.

"About thirty seconds. I never really thought that our District would become a popular tourist destination." Sasuke observes with a smirk.

Our District. _Our._ ** _Ours!_** Sasuke was serious about her. Serious enough that he just automatically assumed that the District was as much hers as his, even though she had no real claim on it.

"Sorry. I probably should have asked. I was just curious as to where Kurenai was going all the time. No hard feelings?" The dango lover asks.

The ruby eyed woman knew why her friend was so anxious. Sasuke was very protective of his District. That or at least she assumed that was the case. He certainly hadn't made much of an effort to invite people into it.

He was probably hesitant to allow anyone in who wasn't an Uchiha. She was an exception because he cared for her. Mirai was a child and her daughter. So she was another exception. Sasuke was also apparently willing to let her team come in and out of the District. Anko was in another league though.

"No hard feelings. Is anyone else coming though?" Sasuke asks.

"Not that I know of. Anko, don't you have a mission to get to? You were mentioning one earlier." Kurenai says.

"Mission? I don't have a mission today. What are you talking about?" The other woman inquires.

That's when Kurenai gives her a dirty look. The young mother knew exactly when Anko realizes what she meant by a mission. There was a look of realization on her face that was difficult to mission. Luckily, she went along with it.

"You know, the mission." Kurenai says.

"Oh right. THAT mission! Thanks for reminding me, Kurenai! You're a real lifesaver! I'll see you guys later!" Anko says as she makes a not so graceful exit.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well that was easier than he thought. He smiles and kisses the back of Kurenai's neck while wiping her hair away from her cheek.

"She silly!" Mirai says with a giggle as she watches the female ninja leave.

"Yes, she's very silly." Sasuke agrees with a smirk as he places a few more soft kisses along the neck of the beautiful woman who was in his arms.

The last Uchiha smiles when he feels Kurenai lean back against him and sigh in contentment. He decides to take that as a good sign and nips lightly. After dealing with Yeshiva, it was nice to be home. Home with the gorgeous ninja who was currently snuggled up to him so sweetly.

"Sasuke!" She calls out warningly.

"What? Am I doing something wrong? You seemed to like it." He asks in confusion.

"You can't do that sort of thing in front of Mirai!" The young mother scolds him.

Really? It was just kissing her neck and embracing her. Though he supposed that she might have a point. It was easy to get carried away with her. Too easy.

"Alright. I'll be good. For now. Hey, Mirai. Let's settle you in for a nice nap. You usually have an afternoon nap about now anyway, right?" Sasuke asks.

"Sasuke, you're absolutely impossible." Kurenai says as she shakes her head in amusement.

"I'm impossible and wild. I've been called worse." Sasuke says with a smirk as he scoops Mirai up into his arms and carries the toddler off to her room.

* * *

He knew it was a little cruel to have "fudged" the truth. He HAD been standing there thirty seconds, but Sasuke also had good hearing. He had overheard everything.

It was nice to know how she really felt about him. The Uchiha felt a bit irked that he was still seen as a rather inexperienced lover, but he couldn't argue the accuracy. He'd never actually done this before, but Kurenai did want him. (She was just smart enough to realize that she shouldn't).

"Get some sleep, Mirai." He says with a smile as he puts her into her crib.

She really was cute. Sasuke wasn't stupid. Mirai wasn't his, but that didn't really matter. She mattered to Kurenai and she reminded him of something important.

A long time ago, he had been the one being tucked in. He had been the one who had sought out his mother's hugs and kisses. The one who had been read bedtime stories. He had been normal once.

"Okay! Night, Fireman." Mirai says with a cute yawn as Sasuke wraps the blanket around her.

"Good night." He says with a smile as he heads off to find Kurenai.

* * *

A few minutes later, he finds himself pushed up against the wall. He recognized the hands doing the pushing though. Soft, warm, and precise. Using just enough pressure to keep him pinned, but not enough to hurt him.

"I can't believe you lied to me about hearing everything." She grumbles.

"I didn't lie. You asked how long I had been standing there. Not whether or not, I had heard everything." Sasuke retorts smugly.

He knew that was a technicality, but the last Uchiha knew he wasn't a liar. Sasuke was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them. Really, she should know that by now.

"You're right. That was just highly embarrassing." She mutters in a flustered voice as she slowly backs up a few steps.

Sasuke smiles and pulls her into his arms. That was better. She was feistier when she was angry than he would have expected. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing though.

"Kurenai, you're not me. You actually need more social interaction than a handful of people. It's normal for women to talk about that sort of thing. Well at least that's what I've been told. It's not like I have much experience when it comes to that sort of thing. If I had any friends besides you, Naruto, and Mirai, I probably would be doing the same thing." He assures her.

"Well it's still embarrassing and you could have more friends, if you wanted them. Sasuke, you're not the person who ran away to the Sound anymore. I can see that. I know that Naruto sees it. Others will see it as well in time. That and Mirai likes you. If you were really that antisocial, I believe that a toddler would pick up on that sort of thing and avoid you. Children have good instincts." She whispers.

Sasuke shrugs. Maybe, he was a little bit better of a person today than he had been when he returned to the Leaf. He didn't feel that he had changed enough to really deserve Kurenai's love or Mirai's approval, but he wouldn't argue the point.

"Maybe, you're right. I have to admit that I feel like being VERY social with you." He says as he embraces her tightly and slides his hand over the curve of her hip suggestively.

Kurenai had more experience at this type of thing than he did, but he figured there was something to be said for instinct. That and she'd probably tell him what she liked and what she didn't. She wasn't shy.

"You really are impossible. What am I going to do to with you?" She says with a sigh as she snuggles into his embrace.

"Protect my "virtue" from the evil queen by stealing it yourself?" He suggests hopefully.

Kurenai laughs. She couldn't believe that had actually come out of Sasuke's mouth. She smiles and turns around.

"Oh. So she's an evil queen now?" The raven haired woman asks her well something.

Honestly, she wasn't really sure what to call Sasuke. He wasn't her husband. He wasn't her lover, but they were certainly more than friends at this point. She'd let him kiss her too many times to even pretend that theirs was a platonic relationship.

"She is. The woman said some things that disturbed me. Nothing on par with say Danzo or Orochimaru, but still. That and I want to be honest with you. I didn't know what to do. If I said no, she'd probably feel slighted and that wouldn't be good for the Leaf." He says.

Uh oh. Sasuke was nervous. That was not a good sign. Her boyfriend wasn't the type to get nervous.

Why would he? He'd gone up against almost everything that the world could throw at him and he was still breathing. Sasuke was a survivor. That much was clear.

"Sasuke, I understand that she's a Kage and that makes things difficult. What did you do though? What did you agree to do?" The Genjutsu Mistress asks anxiously.

"She wants to correspond through letters. I told her yes. I don't want to keep secrets from you. That's' why I'm telling you about it. I don't want her. I mean she's beautiful, but she's not you. That and the woman is a complete shark." He says with a sigh.

"Mmm I see. Are you in the habit of comparing people to marine life?" She asks in amusement.

Kurenai couldn't exactly argue with the label though. Yeshiva was most certainly a shark. The woman was the very definition of a predator.

"Not usually. I suppose that Suigetsu must have rubbed off on me more than I thought." He states as she kisses her forehead with a s mile.

"Mmm. I see and what animal am I?" The ruby eyed woman inquires.

"A dolphin. You're definitely a dolphin." Sasuke tells her without hesitation.

That was interesting. Sasuke said that automatically. It was as if his answer had been a foregone conclusion. She couldn't help, but feel a little curious about that choice.

"Why a dolphin?" The woman dares herself to ask.

"You're beautiful. You're smart. You're social. You're sweet. You're not very threatening, most of the time. Oh and dolphins are the only other animal that has sex for pleasure." He states smugly.

It was such a sweet answer. Well until the last part. That has Kurenai rolling her eyes before she even realized what she was doing.

"I'm not certain how they determined that particular quirk of dolphins. Though I doubt it's just them who have such thoughts on their mind. I did have concerns that you're emotional and sexual development would be stunted." She says as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"I'm not stunted." Sasuke protests at the assessment.

"You don't need to be defensive about it. It's not uncommon for trauma victims to lose interest in intimacy. That's clearly not the case when it comes to you though." She continues with a smile.

Her clarification seemed to do the trick. Sasuke was definitely relaxing now. Good. She wanted him to be relaxed. Just not too relaxed.

"Honestly, I never really thought about it much. I knew when I was an Academy Student and a Genin that I was attracted to you. I just wasn't dumb enough to think that it would actually go anywhere. I'm glad to see that I was wrong though." He says.

"I never would have thought that I would eventually develop feelings for a member of the Rookie Nine, but I guess we were both wrong." She whispers.

Sasuke smiles and caresses her cheek. He could be surprisingly gentle, when he wanted to be. Though Kurenai doubted that many people would ever be privileged enough to see this side of Sasuke.

"Are you angry that I'm going to write her? I'm not going to tell her anything about us or if I do, I can just lie." He assures her.

"I'm unsettled about it. I trust you though. You didn't have to tell me that you were writing her, but you did. I think that I might speak to Kakashi about the matter. She's essentially blackmailing you into continuing to keep in touch with her." The woman says with a frown.

"Then I guess that I'm rather fortunate to have such a beautiful dolphin, who is willing to protect my nonexistent virtue." Sasuke says with a smirk and a butterfly flits across the room.

Kurenai knew that it was ridiculous, but she could swear the butterfly was laughing. She couldn't entirely blame the creature, if it was. Sasuke had a rather dry sense of humor at times.

"Yes, you're very fortunate indeed." She agrees with mock somberness.


	12. You're Amazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sasuke and Kurenai grow closer, Yeshiva fumes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A few days later, Kurenai wakes up in a different bed than she was accustomed to. It was larger and well warmer. A lot warmer. Oh and firmer. Definitely firm.

That's when she slowly opens her eyes and blushes when she realizes why the bed was that firm. It wasn't the bed that she felt, but Sasuke's chest. She curled up next to him and he had one arm draped rather possessively around her waist.

"I must have fallen asleep." She mutters to herself as she slowly remembers the night before.

_"It's probably childish, but I have to admit that I am enjoying it. I am enjoying seeing you get jealous over Yeshiva, even if you have no reason to be." Sasuke murmured between heated kisses._

_"I'm not jealous." She muttered and Sasuke raised an eyebrow._

_"You're a really, really bad liar." He whispered in her ear hotly and he slide his hand over the curve of her hip seductively._

_Kurenai sighed. Alright.. Sasuke had her there. If she wasn't on a mission, the woman couldn't lie to save her life. That and she was certainly acting like a jealous housewife. It was ridiculous._

_"Alright, maybe a little." She admitted._

_"If our situations were reversed, I would have killed her male counterpart by now or at least hurled a Chidori at him." Sasuke told her._

_Kurenai laughed in response, but then she felt guilty. Yeshiva was desperate, but that didn't mean she deserved to die. Could she really blame the other woman for flirting with a man that she had believed was single?_

_"Would you really have killed him?" She inquired cautiously._

_"Probably not. Though I would have thought about it a lot and I almost certainly would have thrown the Chidori." Sasuke replied with a shrug._

_Kurenai smiled and brushed some hair out of his eyes. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only jealous one. She still didn't think that this relationship was a good idea, but there was just something about him that drew her like a moth to a flame._

_"You could have caused an international incident, if you did that." She whispered._

_"I don't care. You're worth it." He told her as he kissed her._

The kissing had lead to cuddling. The cuddling had lead to her being relaxed. From there, it didn't take her very long to drift off to sleep in his arms.

It was nice. Being held again, while she slept. She had almost forgotten what a warm bed felt like. Though she was certain if Sasuke had his way, the bed would go from warm to scorching hot.

"Oh well. I should probably get dressed and start working on reconstruction efforts." She mutters to herself as she slides out of the bed.

The Genjutsu Mistress knew that she had to be very careful about that. If she wasn't, Kurenai would wake him up. Sasuke just looked so peaceful at the moment, that she didn't have the heart to wake him up.

**Warning Lime**

Kurenai slides out of the shirt and pants that she had fallen asleep in and stretches. The Genjutsu Mistress reaches over to Sasuke's closet to grab something. She had shoved a few items in there because frankly Sasuke only used about half of his closet anyway.

"And it's just easier to leave some of my things here, rather than going back and forth." She mutters under her breath.

Unbeknownst to Kurenai, Sasuke was just waking up. He was waking up to a rather gorgeous view. Kurenai was clad only in red silk lingerie. Lingerie that flattered her creamy skin and womanly curves perfectly, in his not so humble opinion.

"Come back to bed." Sasuke says as he reaches out and uses one hand to pull the scantily clad woman back into his arms.

He couldn't help but laugh, when he hears her squeak. A grown woman had just squeaked like a mouse. It was disturbingly cute.

"Sasuke! Don't scare me like that!" She grumbles.

"Well you shouldn't flaunt yourself like that and not expect me to react." Sasuke says as he snuggles back into her.

Ah yes. This was better. Much better. Last night, he hadn't had any nightmares and today he had woken up to the start of some of his more recent erotic dreams. Life was good.

"I wasn't flaunting. I thought that you were still asleep." She mutters with a heated blush.

"Good thing that I wasn't then. Lets take the day off from reconstruction. We can have a lazy day. I can make a clone to watch Mirai." He offers.

"You're bad." She informs him.

"Maybe a little. It's a big District though. It's not like we're going to get it all rebuilt today, anyway. Besides, I don't think that you really mind." Sasuke says with a smirk.

He knew that he was testing boundaries. The raven haired ninja wasn't exactly sure how much he could get away with. Sasuke supposed that he would find out today though.

"I was certainly being accurate when I called you outrageous and what makes you think that I don't mind?" She retorts.

"Easy. You haven't slapped me yet." Sasuke replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He watches in amusement as Kurenai's face turns even redder and she sputters rather indignantly. God help him, it was adorable. He really should stop using that word, but it was just so accurate that he couldn't help it.

"The key word in that sentence is yet. I still might." The ruby eyed woman grumbles.

"That's alright. I've been fighting all my life. I don't mind getting slapped around a little bit, especially not when it's by someone was beautiful as you." Sasuke says as he playfully pins her on her back.

Kurenai mentally gulps. Oh she wasn't scared, but she wasn't naïve. Sasuke was definitely feeling frisky and she wasn't really sure how far she should let him go.

If she didn't establish some boundaries, Kurenai knew that she could very quickly become his first lover. That was something special. Once that happened, there was really no going back.

"I know that you're capable of being gentle. I've seen that. Not everything has to be a battle." She whispers as she runs her fingers through his dark tresses.

"You like gentle? Well you're a teacher. You can teach me how to be gentle." Sasuke says smugly.

She shakes her head and smiles. He looked far too pleased with him. It was like a puppy that had found a bone or something.

"Maybe, I can. I'm not going to become your lover today, but maybe we could go a little further than kissing." She tells him.

"Key words in those sentences are today and but. What'd you have in mind?" Sasuke asks slyly.

Kurenai knew at that moment that she was going to have to tread very carefully here. If she gave him an inch, Sasuke was going to try to take a mile. She was going to have to be firm with him.

"Just some caressing and stroking. Do you trust me?" She whispers.

"That sounds nice, but we've done that before. Why are you so anxious about caressing?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

"I didn't say WHAT I was going to be stroking." She reminds him.

Sasuke blinks and Kurenai tries not to laugh. There were times that it was easy to forget how inexperienced Sasuke really was. This wasn't one of those times though.

"I can work with that." He says and the Genjutsu Mistress laughs softly in response.

She knew that she shouldn't, but he was just so damn adorable at the moment. She leans over and kisses him as she reaches for his pants. Kurenai figured that this should be a relatively safe compromise.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. He never thought that she'd actually offer to do something like this, but he wasn't going to complain. He'd have to be damn stupid to complain.

"That's good." She whispers as she slides off his pants and boxers.

Sasuke could only hope that he wasn't actually blushing. Damn it. He was a ninja. Ninjas didn't blush because they were partially naked.

He'd never actually bothered to compare himself to other men when it came to looks or other _physical attributes._ So he could only hope that she liked what she saw as much as he liked seeing her in that red lingerie.

"Yeah." He murmurs as he watches her.

"I think that it's sweet that you're shy. You were such a tiger earlier." She muses as she takes him into her hand.

To say the least, Sasuke was rather blessed in looks. Apparently, that also extended to the size of his kunai. Not that she was going to tell him that. The man certainly didn't need her to stroke his ego when she was already stroking well _him._

His reaction was immediate. There was something rather satisfying about holding one of the most powerful ninjas in the world in the palm of your hand. Sasuke might have been able to level mountains, but he was still a man when it came down to it.

"T-That feels good." Sasuke sighs out in pleasure as he bucks into her hand.

If you touched him in the right way, he was going to respond. It certainly made him seem more human. Not like some untouchable God of Destruction.

She strokes him faster and marvels at how quickly he could go from being half aroused to fully aroused. She supposed it had something to do with his age. That or maybe he was just a very responsive lover.

"Mmm good. It's supposed to." She whispers as she kisses him hungrily and continues caressing the sensitive flesh.

Sasuke kisses back eagerly. She could practically feel him devouring her through the passion of his kiss alone. His tongue was mapping every corner of her mouth and that's when she feels his hand slide underneath panties.

"Sasuke!" She squeaks, after breaking the kiss.

"You're making me feel good. So I should be able to do the same for you. You're more dressed than I am." He says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She couldn't exactly argue with that logic. Though she suspected that had something to do with the fact that Sasuke large, warm hand was now caressing her womanhood. He was being uncharacteristically gentle.

His touch was curious, but also rather ginger. It was likely that he wasn't exactly sure what the line between pain and pleasure was. So he was airing on the side of caution.

"Alright. As long as no more clothes come off, then it's alright." the Genjutsu Mistress says.

She needed to establish SOME boundaries. It was up to her as the more experienced person in this relationship to do so. Well at least that was the last coherent thought on her mind, until Sasuke started really rubbing her and accidentally brushed against her clit.

"Nhh!" She moans as she bucks against his touch.

"Alright, but it seems like I'm doing something right. I like it when you moan for me." Sasuke informs her as he rubs her faster and brushes his thumb over her clit more.

Kurenai pants in desire as she leans closer to him and continues stroking her almost lover. Judging by the way that he was thrusting into her hand faster and faster, he was probably going to achieve his release soon.

That's when Sasuke slid a single finger inside it and Kurenai lost it. She couldn't believe the sounds that were currently coming out of her mouth. She would have been embarrassed, if it didn't feel so good.

"You let yourself be lonely for too long. You're soft, warm, and feel like an ocean." He says smugly.

Clearly, Sasuke knew enough about human biology to realize what her wetness meant. He knew that she was aroused. She would have issued a retort, but his fingers brushed up against her spot and sent her spiraling over the edge. Fortunately, Sasuke manages to join her at that precise moment in ecstasy. He spills his release at the same moment her own chose to overwhelm her. It was wonderful timing, really.

"You're amazing." She whispers.

"So are you." Sasuke tells her with a smile as he slowly slides his hand out from underneath her lingerie.

**End of Lime  
**

He'd never actually been touched that way before. That and Sasuke had never touched someone else THAT intimately before. It was a new experience, but an addicting one.

"You're sweet." Kurenai tells him as she caresses his cheek.

"If that's what foreplay is like, I can't wait to see what the rest is like." Sasuke pants out.

He briefly contemplates trying to push his luck further. Well that was until he saw that damn butterfly again. Alright. Maybe, that was a sign. He'd try again later.

"Mmm I knew that you'd try to take a mile. Not today though." Kurenai whispers.

"Not today, implies it's a yes for some other time though." He retorts smugly.

"We'll see. I should probably go get cleaned up and check on Mirai." She says as she slides off the bed, grabs some clothes, and heads towards the bathroom.

Sasuke couldn't resist that target. He knew that she would probably smack him for it later, but it'd be worth it. He smacks her backside as she heads to the bathroom.

"Sasuke!" She shrieks at him and he tries his best to look innocent in response.

"Yes, Kurenai?" He asks, once again trying to feign innocence.

"You're impossible." She states as she closes the bathroom door and he just smirks in response.

* * *

Meanwhile Yeshiva was back in her village. She sighs as she slowly makes her way through some of the paperwork that had piled up. Paperwork had to be in the bane of every Kage's existence, she decides.

"My Lady, this letter just arrived for you in the mail." One of her ninjas states as he makes his way over to her and sets the letter down on the desk.

That's when she recognizes the address. It was from the Leaf. It either had to be from Kakashi or Sasuke. Who else would be writing to her from that village?

"Thank you. I'll have a look at it. You're dismissed." She replies.

The ninja in question quickly heads off. Yeshiva could only smirk in response at that reaction. He wasn't stupid. That ninja clearly knew to leave when she said to do so.

There were few things more annoying than a subordinate who stuck around when you didn't need them. Well there was at least one thing that was more annoying, now that she thought about it. Kurenai.

"Hopefully, that romance dies a quick death." She mutters as she opens the letter and begins to read.

**_Dear Lady Yeshiva,_ **

**_I'm writing to you because you asked me to keep in touch with you, after you returned to your village. I hope that this letter finds you well and that you enjoyed your time in the Leaf. I'm sure that both of our villages will benefit from your visit._ **

**_I'm afraid that I don't have much of note to report. I'm still continuing efforts to reconstruct my Clan's District. That's going to take awhile, but I believe that I'm making significant progress in that goal._ **

**_For now, that keeps me busy. Protecting you was my first official mission to the Leaf. After the construction is done, I'm not sure what Kakashi will have me do._ **

**_I don't think many would trust me to be an active duty combat ninja. Not that I can blame them, but that's really all that I've ever known. It would be difficult to consider another specialization._ **

**_I'm sure that I'll think of something though. I can't imagine just sitting around and doing nothing. That would drive me insane._ **

**_In any case, I hope that this letter finds you well. I'm sure that your villagers are happy to have their Kage back._ **

**_Sincerely, Sasuke Uchiha_ **

"He's a clever one." She whispers to herself.

Sasuke had been polite and formal for the most part. Though he had revealed personal details about himself to make his letter seem warmer. He had carefully chosen which details though.

The specialization thing was something with any reasonable deduction skills could have guessed. It was clearly intended to feel personal, without telling her anything that was particularly useful in her quest to seduce him. Well, she supposed there was a reason why he was considered a genius.

"Hmm. Now, what to send back to him?" She mutters as she bites on her pen thoughtfully.

It was a nervous habit. Yeshiva knew that her letters were her only link to Sasuke at the moment. It was something that she had to make good use of.

Unfortunately, Kurenai was still in the Leaf. Sasuke could see her. He could hear her voice. He could feel her touch and Yeshiva was back in her village.

"That witch has an advantage over me at the moment." She mutters in disgust.

That was alright though. Yeshiva had won with longer odds stacked against her and this would be no different. She would make sure of it. With that thought in mind, she begins to write her own letter.

**Dear Sasuke,**

**It gave me great joy to receive your letter. Yes, I'm doing well and so is my village. Thank you, for asking.**

**I am glad that repairs on your District are going well. It must make you happy to see the place being properly restored. Though I do certainly sympathize with how frustrating it can be, having to wait.**

**I'm certain that you will find a job that is suited to your abilities and won't make the other villagers so nervous. Of course, you are always willing to transfer here. I would give you whatever position that you find suitable.**

**Thinking of You, Yeshiva**

There. That sounded suitable. She had expressed in interest, but in a way that wasn't necessarily romantic.

Of course, she wanted to seduce him more directly. Sadly, the Kage wasn't foolish. Yeshiva fully realized that Kurenai currently had her hooks into him rather deeply.

"These sorts of things take time." She mutters as she sends her letter off with a messenger hawk.

* * *

Meanwhile Kakashi was working on his own Kage Duties. He was beyond relieved that Yeshiva was finally back in her village. Now, maybe things could start to get back to normal around here.

Idly, he mentally kicks himself for such a thought. Since when had things ever been normal in the Leaf Village? Since never, as far as he could tell.

"Well normal for us, anyway." He mutters as he pours himself a glass of water.

"You aren't still trying to set Sasuke up with Kurenai, are you?" Pakkun demands from his position on Kakashi's lap.

Kakashi was alternating between petting the Ninja Dog and getting some actual work done. He would be very happy when Naruto was ready to take his place. The silver haired man had never sought out the position of Hokage. He didn't really care for it either.

"Yes, I am. I know that you don't approve, but I do believe them to be an extremely suitable match. Besides, Sasuke needs someone in his life and it would be a shame to have Kurenai die a lonely widow." He replies as he scratches Pakkun's ears.

The CopyCat Ninja wasn't completely ignorant. He knew that he was playing a dangerous game, but he felt that it was one that he had to play. After all, Sasuke had been his student. It was Kakashi's job to look after him, really.

"Well I can see that you're dead set on this foolishness. I'm warning you that this is going to blow up in your face. I really wish that you would listen to me. Sasuke is not the sort of pup that you want to mess with." The canine reminds him.

Oh Kakashi was well aware. That didn't meant that he wasn't going to try though. Sasuke would thank him for it later.

There was a strong possibility that the last Uchiha might throw a few fireballs and Chidoris at him first, but eventually he would. Sasuke wasn't completely unreasonable. He was just thickheaded. Really thickheaded.

"Your concerns and objections are duly noted." The silver haired ninja assures his animal companion.

"Good, but you aren't going to listen. Are you?" Pakkun says with a sigh.

"Absolutely not. This is too good an opportunity to miss. I bet they'll end up in wedded bliss, soon. I'm just glad that Yeshiva is gone." He mutters.

That woman was such a snake. She was a beautiful one, but a snake all the same. He had never seen such an ambitious woman before and Kakashi had met a lot of women.

Hell he didn't think even Mei and Tsunade were as ambitious as her. Though to be fair, Lady Tsunade hadn't wanted to be Hokage either. Once she was though, the woman had excelled at the post. Mei was another matter though. She reveled in her leadership role.

"Me too. That woman made me uneasy. There was something extremely predatory about that woman. I don't know what it is, but it makes me rather uncomfortable." The Ninja Dog admits.

"I'm afraid, that I can't disagree. That's why I'm glad that she's no longer here." He says with a smile.

That's when he hears a knock on the door. Kakashi tilts his head to the side. Hmm. He didn't have any meetings scheduled for today.

"Come in." He says and to his surprise, it was Sakura.

"Kakashi Sensei, I think that we need to talk about Sasuke and Kurenai. Well them and Yeshiva." The pink haired woman says.

"Of course, Sakura. I suppose it couldn't hurt to get a woman's opinion on this matter." He says with a sly smile.


	13. I Love You Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Kurenai take a big step forward in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Two months later, Kurenai was at Anko's place. Some privacy was necessary for the conversation that they were about to have. She had told Sasuke that she was out shopping and that hadn't exactly been a lie.

"How is everything going with the Leaf's most eligible bachelor?" Anko teases her.

She had gone shopping with the other female ninja. It was just that they weren't coming home immediately afterwards. This sort of decision wasn't something that should be rushed into. So the Genjutsu Mistress had been trying to take her time making it.

"Really good. Good enough that I'm considering…taking things further." The Genjutsu Mistress admits.

She needed another woman's opinion on the matter. Kurenai adored Hinata, but the girl was so shy and inexperienced. The young mother needed someone her own age to discuss this matter with.

"Mmm I'm surprised you've held out this long. He's been a suspiciously good boy. It's kinda cute really. It kinda reminds me of a puppy begging for a treat." The other ninja says with a laugh.

As much as she wanted to protest that description, there were times when it was accurate. It was sweet how _eager_ Sasuke was please. She almost felt guilty for constantly stopping him from doing so.

While the cloud of Yeshiva still loomed over her head, Kurenai was convinced that Sasuke was faithful. He'd been nothing, but kind to her and Mirai. He was very attractive and a ridiculously good kisser.

"Sometimes that is an apt analogy." The ruby eyed woman admits.

"So what's the problem? Are you worried about that Kage who was panting after him?" Anko inquires without any tact.

Just the mere mention of that woman's name was enough to make Kurenai's blood boil. It was ridiculous. The only contact that Sasuke had with her was through letters and all of those letters were extremely mundane.

"I'm worried that she might seek retribution, if she feels slighted. She is a Kage. I'm not worried about Sasuke wanting her." She mutters.

"She rules over an Island Nation. She'd be at a disadvantage to attack the Leaf. She'd have to have her troops cross an ocean and even then, they'd have to make quite the trek on land. They'd be exhausted before they even got here. She has to know that such a battle isn't one that she can win." The other woman says thoughtfully.

Kurenai wanted to believe that. Though she was confident that Yeshiva wasn't foolish enough to launch a direct attack. There were other ways to hurt a village. More subtle ways.

"That's true, but I think she's the type that would seek revenge in a more subtle way. I believe she wants to add a bloodline to her village and thought that Sasuke would be an easy target to seduce. He's young and wants a family." The ruby eyed woman says with a sigh.

"Yes, that's true. It looks like he wants those things with you though. Don't let her control you." The other woman urges her.

"I guess you're right. I'm not going to let that woman run my life. She's not even here." Kurenai says.

Anko nods and raises her glass approvingly at the other woman. Kurenai couldn't help, but laugh at this gesture. It was very Anko.

"Alright. In that case, you should go and talk to Sasuke or find a babysitter for the night. Hell, maybe for a few days. I imagine that boy has a lot of stamina." The other woman says with a wink.

Kurenai feels her face burn red with embarrassment. Anko was certainly not a shy woman. She was constantly saying the most outrageous and suggestive things, especially since she found out about her relationship with Sasuke.

"Thank you. Well I think that I'll ask Shikamaru. He's quite good with her. Though maybe, I should ask Hinata to join him. He can be a little lazy sometimes." The Genjutsu Mistress says with a giggle as she heads off to do exactly that.

* * *

A short while later, Sasuke was watching Mirai. Kurenai had said something about Anko needing her help with something. As it was Anko that was asking, Sasuke decided he didn't want to know.,

He simply did not want to know what that woman wanted. She had always given him the creeps, even when he was a Genin. The woman had freaked Naruto the Hell out at the Chunin Exams and while it had been hilarious in a way, it was still mildly terrifying.

"Where Mommy?" Mirai asks and Sasuke pauses as he debates how to answer that question in a way that was appropriate for a two year old.

"Your mother is out visiting her friend. She'll be back soon." Sasuke says with a smile.

That would do it. That was appropriate for a toddler to hear and really, that was all that Mirai needed to know at this point. God only knows what Anko actually wanted to see the Genjutsu Mistress about.

"Oh. Okay." She says as she goes back to playing with her teddy bear.

Well she was easy to please. Sasuke wondered if all children were that easily satisfied. Maybe, though he suspected that even toddler personalities varied considerably.

"Mmm that's right. Mommy was visiting her friend Anko. Mirai, tomorrow you get to go play with Shikamaru and Hinata. Won't that be fun?" Kurenai asks as she walks in and scoops her daughter up in her arms.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side upon hearing that. It wasn't unusual for Hinata or Shikamaru to come to the District anymore. Kurenai and Sasuke were mostly focusing on repairs and honestly, the Uchiha wasn't sure how responsible it was to leave a toddler with a clone. So he had learned to accept their presence.

That was just what happened when you fell in love with a young mother. One had to make certain accommodations. He didn't particularly mind though.

"Yay! Auntie Hinata and Uncle Lazy Bones!" Mirai gigglegs happily.

Hinata was kind and shy. Shikamaru would occasionally still give him dirty looks, but he knew better than to actually try anything. All in all, he was fine with the arrangement.

It still did amuse him though. Mirai's habit of nicknaming people was apparently here to stay. Shikamaru was definitely Lazy Bones and well Hinata was Hinata. He supposed no further elaboration was necessary other than a familial title.

"Mhm. That's right. Let's get you to bed." Kurenai says with a smile as she heads off to tuck Mirai in for the night.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He still didn't know why, but he was confident that Kurenai was up to something. He just didn't know what yet.

With that in mind, the young ninja follows Kurenai. So far everything looked normal. She was just putting her daughter to bed. It was a touching scene really. He knew at one point, his mother had done the same for him.

"Mmm is there a reason you're staring?" Kurenai asks, after shutting the door.

"Well mostly because you're beautiful and that I know you're trying to be sneaky." Sasuke says bluntly.

Kurenai laughs at him and Sasuke tries his best not to actually sulk. The woman was laughing at him! She was not supposed to be laughing at him!

"You've always been rather perceptive. I should have realized that you would figure out that I was planning something. It's a surprise though. I'll tell you tomorrow." She promises him with a gentle kiss.

"That's right. I am, but I don't usually like surprises." Sasuke says a bit warily.

"Mmm. You'll like this one. I promise. Come on. It's late. I assume that you're still bound and determine to keep me warmer than any blanket can?" She asks.

Sasuke nods. Damn right he was. Sleeping was a much more enjoyable experience when you had a beautiful ninja in your arms. He hadn't had a nightmare in weeks and it was all thanks to Kurenai.

"Yes. I wouldn't want you to get cold." He says as he follows Kurenai into their room.

Their room. It was their room. She'd become a permanent fixture in his life. Sasuke couldn't imagine her not being there and there were times when that was more than a little terrifying.

It didn't take long for Kurenai to lay on the bed and for Sasuke to join her. He smiles and immediately wraps one arm around her while he adjusts the covers. This was nice. That was the last thought on his mind, before he fell asleep.

* * *

"Thank you for taking her for the day." Sasuke hears Kurenai say the next morning as he was getting up.

She was in the living room and he had been on his way to the kitchen. That's when he saw that Hinata and Shikamaru were both there. Well whatever surprise Kurenai had in mind, she apparently was planning on showing it to him early. Interesting.

"Oh it's no problem. I love watching Mirai." Hinata says with a smile.

"Anything for you. Well good luck on the reconstruction. It can't be easy trying to repair a District with a toddler running around." Shikamaru says with a yawn as he pushes Mirai's stroller off and Hinata follows him out of the house.

Sasuke sincerely doubted that repairs were all Kurenai had in mind today. Still he couldn't help, but be curious. She was obviously planning something. She had said as much.

"Sasuke, would you mind turning the shower on for me while I grab something to change into?" Kurenai asks.

"Yeah. Sure. No problem." He says as he heads off.

Sasuke didn't think much of it. He probably should have realized something was up though because a few minutes later, Kurenai joins him in the bathroom and that's when everything changed.

**Warning Lemon**

She was wearing a bathrobe, but that's when he notices the sash was undone. He could see her toned stomach and tantalizing hints of the curve of her breasts. Her lovely long legs were on almost full display and the fabric of the bathrobe hugged her womanly curves rather nicely.

"Is this some kind of test?" He asks cautiously.

If it was some sort of self-control test, Sasuke was pretty damn sure he was going to fail it miserably. Kurenai in that bathrobe was a far more erotic sight than anything that the Uchiha had ever dreamed up inside his head. Ever since becoming involved with Kurenai, his latent sex drive had certainly come to the surface with a vengeance.

Kurenai had inspired his mind to conjure up some rather deviant fantasies. Fantasies that he was sure that the young mother would slap him for, if he ever dared to mention them. Still none of them could ever compared to the sight of her in that damn bathrobe.

"No, Sasuke. It's not a test." Kurenai assures him with a reassuring smile as she walks over to him and kisses him.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. Well this was promising. Really promising. Kurenai had let him touch her here and there and even touched him, but they were far from lovers at the moment. Maybe, that was about to change.

"Good because I was definitely going to fail." Sasuke tells her, his eyes now filled with desire.

"Mmm as would be expected of most young men your age. I can hardly hold human nature against you. We've been together for a few months now and you have been very patient." She tells Sasuke as she runs her thumb along his lower lip suggestively.

"I've tried to be." Sasuke agrees and with that, he lightly sucks on digit suggestively.

Kurenai smiles. He was definitely eager. She felt unexpectedly nervous. The ninja had never worried about her ability to please a lover before, but being someone's first was a very important role to fill in someone's life. She had to make sure that she did this right.

"Well I appreciate that more than you'll ever know. So I think that I should reward you for being such a good boy." She whispers into his ear and nibbles on it lightly.

Sasuke shivers. Normally, he would have been offended by being called a boy. Not this time though. There was something very seductive about the way she said it.

"Yeah. I t-think so too." He manages to stammer out.

Sasuke mentally curses the fact that he had just stuttered. Damn it. He was not supposed to stutter at a time like this!

"Would you like to help me out of this robe?" She asks as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Yes." Sasuke says and he didn't think that he had ever meant something more in his entire life.

He slowly slides the robe off of her. The silky crimson red fabric slowly gives way to reveal beautiful creamy skin. There really wasn't a part of Kurenai that didn't fascinate him in some respect.

Her gorgeous eyes. Those long dark curly locks of hers. Her elegant neck and the seductive curves of her hips. Her full breasts that were crowned by rosy pink nipples. The woman's long, shapely legs and round backside. He fully appreciated them all. Well those places and more intimate ones that he couldn't quite see at the moment.

"Mmm you're looking at me like I'm some kind of Goddess." Kurenai notes with amusement as she slowly tugs off his shirt.

"Well to me you are." Sasuke answers automatically.

He said that in such an honest voice that Kurenai feels herself blushing and smiling at the same time. He could be very romantic when he wasn't trying to be. Things like handholding and romantic dinners likely still eluded him, but then there would be moments like this.

"You're very sweet. Why don't you get rid of the rest of your clothes and come and join me?" The raven haired woman asks as she gets into the shower.

"Alright." Sasuke says as he strips in what Kurenai was sure was record time.

It took him even less time to get in the shower behind her. Well he most certainly was rather enthusiastic about the prospect of losing the only innocence he had left. Then again, men usually were. So that wasn't entirely surprising.

"Mmm such an eager student. Though this is a private lesson only for you." She assures him as she leans back into his embrace.

Kurenai couldn't help, but feel extremely comfortable. The feeling of his powerful arms wrapped around her was both exciting and reassuring. That and the water was the perfect temperature. Neither too cold. Nor too hot.

"Good." Sasuke says possessively as he places soft kisses along the back of her neck and shoulder.

"Mhm. Is there anything in particular you would like to try?" She whispers.

Kurenai wasn't completely naïve. She had been sleeping next to him for weeks. Surely, the thought must have crossed his mind.

"Everything. I want to try everything." Sasuke replies as he lightly bites down on her neck and then soothes the sensitive skin with his tongue.

Kurenai lets out a small moan. Sasuke might not know it, but he was most certainly what she referred to as a dominant lover. If she let him, she'd probably be covered in all sorts of lovebites by the end of their encounter.

"Good. Though we should probably start somewhere more specific." She teases him as she turns around and faces him.

"I've never done this before." He admits as he reaches out and caresses her breasts.

Kurenai sighs in contentment at the gentle touches. Sasuke might be able to destroy entire villages, but he was still an innocent. He was unsure of himself in this respect.

"That's alright. Everyone has a first time. I'll tell you, if I like something and if I don't. Don't worry." She assures him as she enjoys his touch and the feeling of the warm water against her skin.

"Good. Well you seemed to like being touched down here, if I remember correctly." He says with a smirk as his other hand snakes its way down across her stomach and over the curve of her hip until it rests between her thighs and cups her womanhood.

"Nhh!" She cries out in surprise and pleasure.

Alright. Maybe he wasn't THAT unsure of himself, Kurenai observes as she bucks into his touch. The feeling of his warm, rough hand down there was incredible and all he was doing was rushing. God help her when he found her clit again.

"You've only let me touch. You've never let me look or taste." He continues his observations and gentle stroking.

Kurenai shivers at his words. He was definitely a natural seducer, even if he didn't know it. The man might have been a slow starter, but once he started…she doubted he was going to stop anytime soon.

"Is that something that you want to do?" She asks.

"I've heard that women like it and I want to make you feel good." Sasuke replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It was such Sasuke Logic, that it brought a smile to her face. Though really, she should be the one more concerned about pleasing him. Suddenly she gets an idea.

"Mmm well that's most certainly true for most women. I won't deny that your information is accurate. You can look and taste all you want, but I'll do the same to you." She says and with that, she stands against the shower wall.

Sasuke looks a little confused at her logic. He walks over to her and sinks to his knees. Obviously, he understood that was really the only way he was going to be able to reach her.

"Mmm facing the other way. Your head towards me but the rest of your body away from me." Kurenai instructs him.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side in an adorably confused expression, but he does as she asks. She'd never thought about it before, but there might be some benefits to having a less experienced lover. Sasuke was apparently willing to go along with almost anything that she said.

"Perfect. Shadow Clone Jutsu." She whispers and a second Kurenai forms.

Sasuke blinks. He wasn't really sure where this was going now, exactly. Though he most certainly was not going to argue with the sight of two naked Kurenais. She, well they, could do whatever the Hell they wanted as far as he was concerned.

"Mmm I promise you'll like it. You don't need to look so confused." Kurenai assures him.

Damn it. The last thing that he wanted was for her to think he was a skittish lover. With that thought in mind, Sasuke decides to go back to doing what he was originally planning on doing.

He lightly pries her legs apart and glides his tongue along her womanhood. Almost immediately he hears her gasp and moan. That brought a smirk to his face. He must be doing something right.

"S-Sasuke!" She cries out in pleasure and Sasuke just smirks more as he licks her more thoroughly and teases her clit.

She seemed to like it most when he touched her there. Well there and her breasts. Which was just fine with him. He liked touching her more intimate places and the sensual moans she made in response always sent a jolt of white hot lust running through him.

"Mmm you're a natural." The clone says as she takes the tip of his arousal into her mouth and Sasuke groans in response.

There was nothing that he could compare to the feeling of her hot, wet mouth wrapped around him. God that felt good. It was taking all his will power not to just spill his seed right, then, and there.

The only thing that stopped him was his pride and that was why he licks her harder and faster. Sasuke watches as her face contorts in pleasure and the water slides down her beautiful body almost like a possessive lover leaving a trail of their own kisses. There was something gorgeous about how the light reflected off the water droplets.

"Don't stop." Sasuke half begs and half demands as he bucks against her mouth, trying his best not to choke her in his desperation to get more of her touch before going back to licking her.

Kurenai moans when she feels his warm, rough tongue against her most sensitive place. Sasuke definitely wasn't shy. The things that he could do with his tongue already were incredible and there was something rather thrilling about having one of the most powerful ninjas in the world, kneeling in front of you.

She'd never actually seen his hair wet before. Gone was the usual spikiness. It was hard for her to choose a favorite hair style. Wet or dry. Well she supposed it didn't matter. Sasuke was just an exceptionally beautiful man either way and even more so when he licked her like that!

"A-Alright. You don't have to worry about holding back." She assures him as she moans when his thumb brushes against her clit again.

He had apparently discovered that spot was sensitive and was fully willing to take advantage of that fact. What surprised her though was when she feels his hand reaching up to caress her breasts with one hand and the other reaching back to tease her clone.

Sasuke groans and smirks as he hears Kurenai moan and feels the clone suck him harder and faster. Apparently, the Genjutsu Mistress had decided to reward him further. God that felt good. He was so close, but he was not going to tumble over the edge until she did. He was going to make sure of that much.

He decides to try something different as he slides his tongue inside her and feels the clone take all of him into her mouth. The last thing he was aware of before he felt an explosion of pleasure was Kurenia's scream of her own as they both came hard and fast. The clone disappears as she finds her release.

"I didn't know clones considered an orgasm an attack." He says smugly between pants.

"Mmm I suppose it's a s-sensual attack on the senses." Kurenai reasons as she desperately tries to catch her breath.

Sasuke nods, deciding that explanation was really as good as any as he stands up. Almost immediately afterwards, he feels Kurenai wrap her legs around his waist. It looked like he wasn't he only one who was eager to become one.

"It's alright. You can do what comes naturally. You don't have to worry about hurting me. I'm not made of glass." She says with a seductive purr in his ear.

Sasuke didn't know that it was possible to get aroused that quickly after just achieving release, but apparently it was. That purr should be classified as some sort of S Class Jutsu. He shivers in response.

"Okay." He murmurs as he captures her lips with his own and slowly slides into her.

If her mouth had felt incredible this was even better. Hot, wet, and tight. She fit so perfectly around him. They really should have done this months ago!

Kurenai gasps and moans. It had been awhile since she'd last been intimate and she supposed that was why she was so sensitive. That and being with Sasuke was apparently an all consuming experience.

The warmth of his skin. That adoring look in those smoldering eyes of his. The way that he touched her almost reverently, like he was afraid that he was going to accidentally break her…but couldn't get enough of her. And most of all, the feeling of being completely and utterly desired when he buried himself inside her.

"Feels so good." She whispers into his ear as she arches against him, desperate to get more of that feeling of closeness to him.

"Tell me, if I get too rough." He growls in response and that's when Kurenia shivers in response.

There was something almost animalistic about that growl. It should have scared her, but it felt too good to be joined in this fashion to worry about much of anything. Instead of frightening her, it only heightened her desire.

"I will." She promises as she tights her grip on his muscular back.

"Good." Sasuke tells her and with that, whatever thread of self-control that he had been holding onto until that moment seemed to break.

Not that Kurenai was complaining as her lover claimed her against the wall. Over and over again. Each thrust more possessive than the last and filling her in ways that she had almost forgotten she could be.

Sometimes his thrusts were shallow and teasing. Other times they were practically animalistic in their passion. It was as if Sasuke had no control over himself at the moment, but she didn't care. Not when he kept hitting her spot like that and making her scream in pleasure.

Sasuke growls in satisfaction at the feeling of being connected to Kurenai so completely. It just felt so damn good. He couldn't get enough of seeing her arch like that. Her rosy flushed skin and dark hair contrasting beautifully against the white tiles of the shower wall as he took her

He probably should have been more gentle and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that. Though Kurenai didn't seem to be complaining and when she rolls her hips to match his pace, he could only moan in response.

"S-Sasuke!" She pants out desperately.

She was close. He could feel it. He was as well. They were both spiraling towards that euphoric feeling that he had only briefly gotten a taste of earlier. With that thought in mind, he slams into her one final time. Sending them both over the edge.

"Kurenai!" He roars out his release as he spills his seed deep inside her.

It took several minutes before his breathing returned to normal and for him to be capable of coherent thought again. Sasuke could see why everyone was so fixated on sex now. The idea of Clan Restoration had never looked more appealing than at that moment he thinks to himself as he slowly slides out of her.

**End of Lemon**

"Mmm I never would have believed that was your first time, if I didn't know any better." Kurenai pants out as she rests her head on his shoulder and leans into his embrace.

Thankfully, his hands were somehow steady enough to hold her and her legs were still wrapped around him tightly. Otherwise, Kurenai was sure that she would have fallen. It would have been worth it though.

"Well I had a very good teacher." Sasuke murmurs as he carries her out of the bathroom and back towards their bedroom.

"You're a flatterer." Kurenai says with a laugh.

"More like I'm an honest person." Sasuke tells her and with that, he gently lays her on the bed and soon joins her.

Kurenai smiles in response as she snuggles into him. There was that unexpected sweetness again. She was beginning to feel rather spoiled.

"Mmm an honest person who I love with all my heart." The raven haired woman whispers.

She had said it. Kurenai had actually said it. There was no going back now that the words had left her mouth.

"I love you too." Sasuke whispers he kisses her forehead as Kurenai's smile grows even more.

"Good because I don't know if I'm going to be able to walk after all that. You may very well have to carry me around for awhile." Kurenai says.

"After all THAT, I'm more than willing to do ANYTHING that you want." Sasuke purrs seductively in her ear and the Genjutsu Mistress shivers in response.

What had she done? There was no way that she was ever going to be able to focus on helping him repair the District now and she doubted that Sasuke would be able to either. Oh well, she thinks to herself as she glances at the beautiful man who was laying next to her so contentedly.

She supposed that there was really no rush. After all, it wasn't like Kakashi had given them a deadline.


	14. Don't Go Overboard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke receives some exciting news from Kurenai as Yeshiva plots to break our favorite couple up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

It had been over two months, but less than three since she had become Sasuke's lover. In that time, she had learned many new things about her new lover. While his public persona was at best a bit aloof, in private he was anything but. There was scarcely a moment when either she or Mirai weren't the sole focus of his attention. Much to both of their delights.

"That's strange." She mutters to herself as she stands in front of her mirror.

As a ninja, Kurenai was constantly training and she rarely altered her diet. That meant that her body weight rarely fluctuated. Well at least not more than a pound or two in either direction.

So why was her stomach softer than usual? Oh she was far from fat. It was just she was used to seeing a toned stomach and feeling muscle underneath her fingertips. Not soft skin.

"You alright?" Sasuke asks when he catches Kurenai frowning at the mirror.

"Oh yes. I'm fine. I just think that I've put on a little weight is all." She mutters.

She didn't know why she admitted that. Sasuke was probably going to feel uncomfortable now. After all, no smart man ever commented on a woman's weight unless he was her doctor. (Well at least not in Kurenai's personal experience).

"Kurenai, you look beautiful as always. I haven't noticed any difference and believe, I would know. I am the one who has been making love to you for the past three months." Sasuke assures her as he caresses her cheek.

She smiles and leans into the caress. He was getting rather good at saying the right thing at the right time. That and touching the right places at the right time. Definitely touching.

"Mmm well technically it's more like ten and a half weeks." She points out.

"You're counting parts of a week? I was rounding. Nevermind. The point still remains the same. I haven't noticed anything different. If you're really that concerned about it though, I know of a few rather enjoyable ways to burn it off." He growls playfully into her ear as he wraps his arms around her waist.

Kurenai shivers as she leans back against him. He might have been a bit shy in the beginning, but that was almost gone now. Unless she taught him something new.

"You're still sweet." The ruby eyed woman says with a smile.

"Mmm still more accurate than anything. If you're that concerned about it though, you could always have a medic look you over." The raven haired man suggests.

That's what Kurenai had been considering. It wasn't just her weight though. She had been vomiting here and there. Kurenai had pawned it off to just slightly undercooked food or the flu until now.

"Mommy! Mommy! Fire Man! Fire Man! Mail here!" Mirai says as she skids into the room.

Her daughter was now getting much better control of her finer motor skills. Mirai was two now and getting into everything. Luckily, Sasuke had recently baby proofed (or toddler proofed) the house. (Well as much as anyone could do such a thing, anyway).

"Who needs messenger hawks when we got her?" Sasuke asks in amusement as he leans down and takes the letter from her.

When Mirai ran into the room. It all clicked. She hadn't noticed it because it was more subtle than her first pregnancy. With Mirai, her Morning Sickness had been more intense. Though she hadn't started showing as early with her daughter.

That was normal though. Women tended to show sooner with their younger children because their first pregnancy had already stretched the necessary muscles. There was a good chance that she was pregnant.

"I fast!" Mirai says and Sasuke smiles down at her.

"Yes, you are." Sasuke agrees as he opens the scroll and frowns.

They hadn't used the Jutsu. That had been a stupid move on her part. Kurenai had let herself get carried away. In her defense, it was very easy to get carried away when you had such an attentive lover. That didn't change the fact that she should have taken the proper precautions.

"Fire Man no happy. Bad Lady?" Mirai asks innocently.

Wonderful. Now even her daughter knew about Yeshiva. Kurenai had always known that she wouldn't be able to protect her from the real world forever, but she had wanted to keep up the illusion that she could for a little while longer.

"Yes, Bad Lady." Sasuke says with a sigh as he glances at Kurenai apologetically.

"It's alright, Sasuke. I understand. What'd she say this time?" The young mother asks.

"Nothing that she hasn't said before. She's offering me a transfer to her village. I think she just wants the Sharingan" The Uchiha replies.

Kurenai was sure that Sasuke was right about it. Though she was confident that Yeshiva wanted more than one. It was ironic that she was trying to get him to fall into her bed so desperately and to secure a bloodline for her village, when Kurenai was possibly already pregnant.

"You don't have to apologize, Sasuke. I can hear it in your voice. This situation makes you uncomfortable. You're many things, but unfaithful isn't one of them. I know that." She says as she kisses his cheek and her lover gives her a relieved look.

That was another point to consider. Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan. If she was pregnant, he'd likely be happy about it. Unfortunately, there was still Yeshiva to consider.

Assuming that she was correct, Yeshiva would find out about her pregnancy. Eventually. It was just a question of what the other woman would do about it.

* * *

Meanwhile Sakura and Naruto were having lunch at the Ramen Shop. The blonde had recently gone to visit Sasuke and ended up accidentally getting an eyeful. That meant that the medic was trying to help her friend process it and get over his embarrassment.

"I mean I went to visit the bastard and I heard some strange noises going on. So I looked through the window first. You know, I've been trying to do what you suggested and look before I leap and everything." He says sheepishly.

"It's a good thing that you listened. Sasuke would have Chidoried you, if you hadn't." Sakura points out.

She still couldn't believe it. Sasuke had actually found love. It had to be love in her mind. He'd never shown much of an interest in women or anyone who wasn't Naruto and Itachi. So she couldn't imagine this was just a physical attraction.

"Yeah. You're right. I still can't believe though. I guess that does explain why he didn't mind her moving into the District though. This kinda explains everything." The blonde says cheerfully.

It looked like Naruto was finally getting over his shock. That was good. Hopefully, he wasn't going to embarrass Sasuke about his relationship with Kurenai though. That would only end in disaster.

"Yes, it does." Sakura agrees as she sighs slightly.

She had always hoped that it would be her, but Sakura was glad that he had found someone. Honestly, she hadn't seen this one coming. Though she probably should have.

Sasuke had never shown any interest in girls his age. Maybe, he just liked older women. The fact that she already had a kid was probably appealing to him. He did want to restore his Clan.

"Do you think that Team Eight knows?" Naruto asks.

"I don't think so. If they did, Kiba would have said something. He's not the type to keep quiet about that sort of thing." Sakura observes.

She could scarcely imagine what the Inuzuka would do. Kurenai's team adored her and Kiba was naturally a very protective person. Not that he would ever stand a chance against someone like Sasuke, but he would try.

He would try and that's when things might get ugly. Hopefully, Sasuke would restrain himself for his lover's sake. Though Sakura wouldn't necessarily bet on it. He had never had good control over his temper.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. So what do we do about all this? Should we say something? Should we congratulate them or should we just kinda wait for them to tell us?" The sapphire eyed ninja inquires.

That was a good question. Sooner or later, it was going to get out. Whether Kurenai had asked Sasuke to keep their relationship discrete or not, she wasn't' sure. It wasn't as though the last Uchiha left his District all that often to begin with.

As she sips her drink, the medic remembers her conversation with Kakashi. The conversation that had changed everything. She would never forget it.

_"I should have realized that you would notice." Kakashi said cheerfully._

_"I think that Sasuke has feelings for Kurenai, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. She's still grieving over Asuma Sensei and Sasuke is still…figuring things out." She mumbled._

_It was a real fear. Sasuke likely wouldn't handle rejection well and he was having a hard to reintegrating himself back into the village. If the one person that he was seeking out a new bond with rejected him, it wouldn't be pretty._

_"Yes, I know that she's still grieving and Sasuke is going through a period of adjustment. In all honesty, that's part of the reason why I assigned Kurenai to help him. They could both benefit from such a relationship. Sasuke needs new bonds and Kurenai shouldn't be alone. Asuma wouldn't want her to be." The silver haired ninja says as he flips another page in his book._

_That shocked Sakura. Kakashi had planned all of this. The Hokage was trying to play matchmaker. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or be terrified._

_"You're setting them up." Sakura whispered._

_"Yes, that's right. You've always been a bright young woman. I should have realized that you would realize what I was doing. Unfortunately, Yeshiva's visit did throw a kunai into my plans. I expect that things will get back on track now though." He replied merrily._

It had honestly shocked her that Kakashi was willing to meddle like that. Other than always being late and reading those romance novels, he had always been rather professional. Then again, the man did spend all day reading erotic literature. In hindsight, Sakura supposed that she really shouldn't have been that surprised.

"We should wait. They'll tell us or the rest of the village will figure it out." She says.

"Alright. I still can't believe that the bastard actually has a girlfriend though." Naruto says with a laugh.

Sakura couldn't believe it and she doubted the rest of the Leaf would either. Still they would have to get used to it. If the village could get used to Kakashi being Hokage, well it could get used to anything.

* * *

Back in her village, Yeshiva was pacing. This was getting more and more vexing. All of Sasuke's letters held the exact same tone as the first one. Professional with a hint of platonic friendliness.

She really should have made more progress by now. Obviously, the Kage was going to have to take more drastic measures. At this rate, they'd be married within the year.

"My Lady, are you alright? You look most distressed about something." One of her guards says.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do organize a great celebration and invite the most prominent ninjas from the Five Great Nations and nearby Island Nations." She states.

"Very well. What shall I tell them is the occasion and when shall we be hosting this celebration?" He inquires reasonably.

Hmm. That was a good point. It would take time to organize such a thing, but time was something that she didn't have. Yeshiva needed to act swiftly.

"Next month on the night of the Full Moon." She replies.

That should give her enough time to plan. It was certainly further away than she would have liked, but one couldn't rush these things too much. After all, she did have her village's reputation to think of.

If this celebration wasn't a success, it would make the other Ninja Nations look down on them. That certainly wasn't something that she could allow. So while it irritated her, Yeshiva knew that she would have to bid her time. Well at least to a certain extent.

"Very well, My Lady. I shall to it that it's done." The guard says as he heads off.

At the very least, her villagers still respected her and followed her orders. Unfortunately, Sasuke was another matter. He was completely bewitched by that other woman. It was a most unsatisfying situation.

The most irritating thing of all though was that Yeshiva knew that he was attracted to her. The Uchiha was attracted to her at least physically. She knew when men were and weren't attracted to a woman and Sasuke fell into the latter camp.

"This all would have been so much easier, if she wasn't in the picture." The Kage mutters to herself.

Hmm. There was an idea. If she couldn't slowly pry them apart, maybe she'd do it more abruptly. She would have to make it look like an accident of course.

That or an assassination. Perhaps, she could have one of her people wear the uniform of another village. That might do the trick. The idea did have merit.

"Of course, that would mean that I would have to separate them at least temporarily." Yeshiva whispers to herself.

If they were both coming to her village, Sasuke was unlikely to leave the woman's side. She'd find a way though. Yeshiva had to. The alternative was simply unacceptable.

* * *

Three days later, Sasuke watches as Kurenai paces. It was about four in the morning. It was likely that the Genjutsu Mistress thought that he would still be asleep.

Normally, he would be. He'd been woke up to a colder bed than usual though. Sasuke particularly care for waking up without his beautiful lover not laying next to him.

"She's nervous about something." He mutters to himself as he watches her pace.

She was really nervous about something, but Sasuke wasn't sure what. Was she really that anxious about Yeshiva? The woman was beautiful, but he didn't love her. He had thought he made that abundantly clear.

Actually, Kurenai had been acting strangely for the better part of the week now. She still hadn't told him what happened at her doctor's appointment either and that was annoying. He didn't like the fact that she was keeping secrets from him.

"Is she really sick?" He asks himself as the possibly occurs to him.

Itachi had a serious illness. Maybe, Kurenai did as well. That's when Sasuke notices the purple butterfly flitting about and decides to just ask. One way or another, he had to know.

"Kurenai, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Sasuke asks.

He was no longer whispering. The Uchiha wanted answers and he was going to get them. Sasuke was going to get them now.

"Sasuke! What are you doing up?" The raven haired woman replies in a voice that resembled a squeak.

She squeaked. Sasuke couldn't believe this. A Jonin was squeaking. Was Kurenai doing her best impersonation of Hinata? If so, it was working.

"I woke up when you weren't laying next to me. Tell me what's wrong." He says as he walks over to her.

"It's not that something is wrong. Not exactly anyway. It's more an issue of timing." Kurenai whispers as she looks at him.

The woman was obviously anxious about something. Sasuke didn't think it was a stretch to say that she was scared. That just wasn't like Kurenai. His lover was many things, but easily spooked wasn't one of them.

"An issue of timing? What is poorly timed?" Sasuke prods her.

She was already skittish about something. He wasn't going to startle her further by being too aggressive. That didn't meant that he wasn't going to ensure that she answered his question though. Kurenai most certainly was.

"You might want to sit down for this." She replies softly.

That wasn't a good sign. Usually, people didn't tell you to sit down when they had good news. That was almost exclusively a request that people made when they were about to deliver bad news.

"You aren't sick, are you? You aren't dying." He asks warily as he sits down.

He couldn't do it again. Sasuke just couldn't lose anyone else, especially not her. The people that he cared about most tended to end up dead with a few exceptions like Naruto. (Though Naruto was quite honestly too stubborn to die).

"No, Sasuke. I'm not sick and I highly doubt that I'm going to die from this. It's alright. It's good news. As I said, it's just a matter of timing." She reassures him.

With that being said, the last Uchiha quickly pulls her into his lap. He didn't like how cryptic she was being. Sasuke definitely didn't care for that.

"What is it then? You've been acting strangely. Walking on eggshells and pacing. Not to mention, staring at yourself in the mirror. Not that I blame you for that one. You're definitely beautiful enough to stare at all day." He tells her.

"I went to see Tsunade to confirm it. She is after all the best in her field. We've been lovers for awhile now…" She begins cautiously.

"To have her confirm what and yes, I know and I'm definitely happy about that change in our relationship." Sasuke replies warily.

Kurenai sighs. She was most assuredly going about this the wrong way. She could see that in his eyes. The only thing that she had succeeded in doing so far was to make him anxious. That wasn't a promising start.

"So have I. More than you'll ever know, but I wanted to be sure. We haven't really been using The Jutsu. You're such an enthusiastic lover that it's easy to get caught up in the moment with you. I suppose that it was bound to happen, considering how often we've been intimate and that we haven't been taking precautions. I'm not sick, Sasuke. I'm pregnant." She whispers to him as she places his hand on her stomach.

She could tell that she had stunned him. Honestly, Kurenai had had the same reaction at first. She didn't really know why. It was really a matter of math at a certain point.

Kurenai might have been older than Sasuke, but she was still a younger woman in her childbearing years. They had made love rather frequently in the past few months. Eventually, her cycle was going to line up.

"You're sure?" He asks as he blinks.

Bubble eyes. He was completely shocked. Kurenai had found a few old pictures of Sasuke when he was a child. He used to have the most adorable bubble eyes, but he had outgrown them. Well at least that's what she thought until now.

They were definitely back though. They were back with a vengeance. Any other time, his shocked expression would have been rather comical. Not now though.

"I'm sure. As I said, Tsunade is the best in her field. She can tell." Kurenai whispers.

"That's fantastic!" Sasuke says with a grin as he pulls her even closer to her and embraces tightly.

Well she supposed that she shouldn't have been worried about that. This was a man who had his family taken from him as a small child. It was only natural that he would want that back.

As nice as it was to see him happy about her pregnancy and to be held though, she still had to remind him of the reality of the situation. There was still Yeshiva to consider. That woman wasn't going to give up.

"I'm glad that you're happy about this, but what about Yeshiva?" Kurenai whispers.

"What about her? I was never romantically involved with her. I don't owe her anything. She isn't even part of this village. She has no right tell me who I can and can't have a family with." Sasuke retorts.

"Morally, you're absolutely correct. I don't think that she'll see it that way though. Yeshiva will find out that I'm pregnant. I know that she will. It's only a matter of time." The raven haired woman reminds him.

Sasuke frowns. That's what she was worried about. Kurenai was worried that Yeshiva would feel slighted and do something. What she thought the other woman would do was unclear, but Sasuke didn't care for the implications of it.

"Doesn't matter. You're in the Leaf. She's back in her village. You're safe. Our baby is safe. I wouldn't let anything happen to either of you. You know that." Sasuke says as he scoops her up and carries her back towards the bedroom Bridal Style.

_She was pregnant!_ That explained everything. Why she kept looking at herself in the mirror. Why Kurenai had been getting sick and why she was pacing. It all made sense now.

"Mmm, Sasuke. I'm pregnant. Not sick. You don't need to put me on bedrest unless there are complications." She tells him with a quiet laugh as her lover gently lays her on the bed.

"Maybe, you're right. Still it doesn't hurt to be careful. Just to be on the safe side. I mean you had Mirai without any complications. That's a good sign, but still." Sasuke begins to answer her and then trails off, leaving the implications to hang heavily in the air.

"You're going to drive me absolutely crazy until I have this child. Aren't you?" Kurenai asks.

Well probably. Kurenai didn't seem like the type of woman that would appreciate being coddled until her pregnancy was over. That was just too bad though. She would have to learn to deal with it.

It was better safe than sorry. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her, their child, or Mirai. Kurenai could huff at him, if she wanted to. That was the way it was going to be though.

"Depends, if you're going to argue with me about my pampering you." He says as he captures her lips in a kiss.

He smiles when he feels her return it. Good. That was a good sign. Maybe, she was going to be reasonable about all this.

"Well a little pampering here and there is okay. Just don't go overboard." Kurenai whispers between kisses.


	15. What's a Metaphor?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Yeshiva uses her party as a distraction, she sends someone to attack Kurenai. Only for them to realize, that things don't always go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notations: The battle scene was intense, but I didn't feel it was graphic enough to merit a warning. Though if you feel otherwise, I would recommend skimming that scene. With that being said, happy reading.

One month later, Sasuke sighs as he arrives in Yeshiva's Village. It really was a beautiful place, but not nearly as beautiful as the one that he was leaving behind. Oh the island's scenery was lovely, but the Leaf's was even more so.

No, he wasn't talking about the Leaf's majestic forests or the proud Hokage Mountain. He was talking about Kurenai. The gorgeous island that he was on couldn't hold a candle to the woman who was currently carrying his child.

"Welcome, Sasuke. I'm so glad that you could make it." Yeshiva says with a smile.

"Thank you. I was honored to receive an invitation." Sasuke lies with ease.

He had gotten better at that. Sasuke had gotten better at controlling his emotions and lying for the sake of missions. He supposed the fact that he knew that it was necessary for his child's sake had something to do with it.

"The honor is all mine, I can assure you." The beautiful Kage replies.

Honor? Ha. The sheer audacity of this woman was unbelievable. She was speaking of honor while she was trying to ruin Sasuke's relationship with Kurenai? It would have been funny, if it wasn't so damn infuriating.

"It's lovely to see you again." Kakashi adds as he shakes hands with Yeshiva.

Saved by the Kakashi, he thinks to himself. Sasuke wasn't sure that he would have been able to keep a straight face much longer. So it was a good thing that the Hokage had intervened.

"And you as well." Yeshiva says and Sasuke barely manages not to snort in disbelief.

The woman was such a good liar. The three of them damn well knew that the woman wasn't happy to see Kakashi. It was rather obvious why she wasn't. Kakashi was a barrier between her and her goal.

In this case, that goal was to seduce Sasuke. Not that she was going to get anywhere in that endeavor, but still. Yeshiva apparently thought that she was going to and the silver haired ninja was getting in the way of that. It was only natural that she was going to resent the CopyCat Ninja for that.

"I have to say that I am impressed. You've put together quite the celebration. Do you mind if Sasuke and I explore the village a bit before the festivities begin?" He inquires cheerfully.

"No, of course not. Please do enjoy yourself. I think that you'll find that our island has a lot to offer." The dark beauty replies with a sweet smile.

Sasuke wasn't buying it. This woman was many things, but sweet wasn't one of them. She was beautiful, intelligent, and dangerous. Sweet didn't factor into the equation in the slightest.

Kurenai could be sweet. Yeshiva couldn't. That was just who they were at the end of the day and he didn't think that was ever going to change.

"Thank you. Thank you, for inviting us to your beautiful home and for granting us the privilege of exploring it." Sasuke states and Yeshiva smiles at him in approval.

Being formal wasn't his natural state of being, but Sasuke was capable of it. His Clan had once been known as a Noble Clan for a good reason. The young ninja might have been a child when his family was killed, but he had had proper etiquette lessons before that fateful day. Lessons that he knew were going to serve him well during his stay here.

"You're welcome. Well I'm afraid that I must go. A Kage's work is never done." She says with a polite sigh.

"Of course. We understand. Don't we, Sasuke?" The Hokage asks.

"Completely. We'll see you at dinner." Sasuke agrees and with that Yeshiva saunters off.

She sauntered off gracefully. Sasuke doubted that walk was a coincidence. Walking might be a mundane activity for the most part, but it was clear that Yeshiva knew how to make an exotic sight.

The way that her hips swayed was rather nice. Sasuke preferred Kurenai's hips and sway, but he couldn't deny that was beautiful. Though she was also the woman who was trying to break up his relationship. No amount of beauty was going to erase that fact from his mind.

"She's a viper." Kakashi mutters.

"You have no idea." Sasuke says with a sigh of his own.

"Best watch your step while you're here. I doubt that you would be the first to fall for her…charms." His former instructor warns him.

Sasuke nods in understanding. Though he was having a hard time remembering why he couldn't just Chidori her and get it over with. That would have been much easier.

Unfortunately, he knew that he couldn't do that. Yeshiva was the TakiKage. One didn't go around and Chidori Kages, if one wasn't interested in starting a war.

"Oh believe me, I know. Thanks for the save by the way. She probably would have offered to give me a tour, if you hadn't intervened." Sasuke admits.

"You're welcome. Well I'll see you at dinner. We did say that we were going to explore the village. So you should probably go somewhere. At least make it seem like a believable lie." Kakashi says with a wink and with that, he heads off.

Sasuke nods and does the same. He was sure that he could find some place in this village to keep him entertained for a few hours. To his joy, the Uchiha was soon proven right.

He ran into an elegant looking jewelry shop. Well while he was here, he might as well have a look around. After all, he had a pregnant lover. Sasuke might as well do things in a semi proper way.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Leaf, Kurenai plays with Mirai. It bothered her that Sasuke had to go to the TakiKage's Village, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. Refusing a Kage's invitation was not a smart move. No matter how badly one might want to do so.

"Fire Man be back soon?" Mirai asks as her mother pushes her on a swing set.

"Yes, he'll be back soon." Kurenai assures her daughter.

She knew that Sasuke loved her, but she didn't trust that woman. Honestly, Kurenai wished that Yeshiva wasn't a Kage. That would have made things so much easier.

"She seems attached to him." Anko muses as she walks over to Kurenai.

The other ninja was visiting more often now. Sasuke seemed to be willing to tolerate more people coming to his District than before, but there was one simple unspoken rule. Don't expect him to socialize with them.

It was because of that, that Anko felt comfortable enough to help Kurenai through this. This unfortunate period in her life where she was pregnant and her lover had to go and placate some other woman. A woman who wanted nothing more than to steal said lover away from Kurenai.

"Yes, she is. Well if nothing else, I suppose Sasuke has had practice with Mirai. He's ready for fatherhood. Well as ready as anyone ever can be." The ruby eyed woman says with a smile.

"Mhm. You know, you aren't going to be able to hide your pregnancy for much longer." Her friend points out gently.

Kurenai nods in agreement. She knew that. She figured she might have another month, if she got lucky. Her belly was already growing softer by the day, but that could be hidden easily by baggy clothes at the moment.

Baggy clothes would only go so far though. A pregnant woman couldn't hide her pregnancy with them in her third trimester. So Kurenai could only hope that this would all be sorted out by then.

"I know. I just don't want that wicked…woman to find out about the baby." She grumbles.

She had almost said _bitch._ Thankfully, Kurenai had caught herself at the last moment. What kind of example would she be setting for her daughter, if she used such language around her? A very bad one!

"I can understand that, but nature might not give you that luxury. So how did he take it? How did he react to your being pregnant?" The other ninja inquires curiously.

"Well he was rather shocked. I would say that I don't know why, but it took me by surprise as well. It shouldn't have though. It was bound to happen, given how close we have grown." She mutters, feeling her face burn red with embarrassment.

Anko was always trying to get details out of her. Details about her love life with Sasuke, but Kurenai refused to give them. All that the other woman needed to know was that in THAT particular area, everything was going just wonderfully. Thank you, very much!

She wanted to respect Sasuke's privacy in that regard. He might have said that he was fine with Kissing and Telling, but she doubted that he wanted every detail of their intimacy to be discussed. That and Kurenai was just a private person by nature, she supposed.

"One of the perks of finding yourself a young stallion is that you can ride them more often than an older one." Anko says with a wink.

"ANKO! I can't believe that you said that in front of Mirai!" Kurenai scolds her.

"What? It's not as though she understands the metaphor. Sasuke really needs to come back and soon. You're getting awfully grumpy." The other woman teases her.

Kurenai couldn't deny that. She had grown used to sleeping in a warm bed and now, she was sleeping alone. There was something unsettling about that fact.

It had only been a few days and she was already grumpy as Anko put it. That wasn't a good sign. The Genjutsu Mistress had clearly grown far too dependent on Sasuke. Though she decides to blame that on the pregnancy hormones. (After all, she was a ninja and very much an independent woman by nature)!

"What's a metaphor?" Mirai asks adorably.

"It's when you say something, but you mean something else." Kurenai explains to her daughter.

The only response she got was confusion in her daughter's eyes. She sighs. Well metaphors were a rather difficult topic to explain to a toddler. No matter how intelligent that child might be.

"Oh. Okay." The little girl replies.

It was obvious that she didn't understand, but wasn't going to press further. Which was a good thing in this case. The last thing that Kurenai needed was to explain the stallion metaphor to her daughter!

There was no way that she would understand it and she was far too young for such things. Honestly, she should smack Anko for such an outrageous comment. What was that woman thinking?!

"Alright. Alright. That might have been over the line. So what'd he do after he got over the shock? It's been a month. He can't still be in shock." Anko asks.

"Sasuke is overjoyed about it really. He's been spoiling me without mercy and built Mirai a swingset. He's gotten much better at carpentry since we began working on District Repairs." The Genjutsu Mistress informs her.

Anko nods and Kurenai knew what she was thinking. She was probably wondering how the other woman had managed to tame Sasuke Uchiha. Honestly, she still didn't have a clue how it happened herself.

"That's good. Well if nothing else, you know that this kid is going to be a looker. In a few years, you two are going to have to beat off the suitors with a stick. Are you hoping for another girl, a boy, or don't you have a preference?" Her friend asks.

"I don't really have a preference. As long as the child is healthy, that's all that matters." Kurenai answers her.

"A little sister or a little brother is on the way." Mirai announces proudly.

"Yes, they are. Though it's going to take awhile. Your sister or brother hasn't finished growing yet." Kurenai informs her doctor and kisses her forehead.

She knew that the concept of pregnancy was difficult for her daughter to grasp. That was only to be expected though. Mirai was still so young, but at least the girl seemed to understand that she was going to be a big sister in the relatively near future and was happy about it. That's what mattered most.

* * *

Back in Yeshiva's Village, the TakiKage sighs as she makes the final preparations for the feast. This was not going the way she had hoped at all. Sasuke was out exploring the village, but he wasn't exploring it with her.

That was a bad sign. The only comfort that she could draw upon was the fact that her assassins were in place. As soon as Kurenai was alone, they would strike and then she'd give Sasuke some time to mourn.

_"I'll comfort him during the mourning process, but I won't push. I'll be his shoulder to cry on,"_ She thinks to herself. That was her best shot. It was unfortunate that such measures had become necessary, but Yeshiva had never been one to shy away from getting her hands dirty.

"Is everything to your liking, My Lady?" One of her villagers asks.

"Yes, everything is to my liking. You've all done such a wonderful job and on such short notice. All of you have brought great honor to our village." She says with a smile.

* * *

Scarcely three hours later, Sasuke walks into the Dining Hall and Yeshiva smiles. Now was her chance. Her chance to lay the groundwork for her plan. With that in mind, she makes her way over to him.

"I trust that you enjoyed your exploration?" She inquires.

"Yes, your village is beautiful." Sasuke replies diplomatically.

Yeshiva didn't particularly care for his formal tone, but she knew that she could fix that. Given enough time, one could fix almost anything. The dark beauty knew that she simply had to be patient. That was all.

"I'm glad that you think so. You know, my offer still stands. You could transfer here. We would be happy to have you. You could start over." She half pleads with him.

A little desperation tended to go a long way in convincing men to help you. She loathed playing the Damsel in Distress Card, but that wouldn't stop her from doing so. Not when the stakes were this high.

"That's a very kind offer, but my home is the Leaf Village. My Clan helped to found that village. That's one of the reasons why it would be so difficult to leave again. That and my family is buried there. Being close to their final resting places, brings me a sense of peace." Sasuke says.

"I can certainly understand why it would be difficult for you, but you have to live your own life. It does not good to dwell on the past all the time. Your family would want you to be happy. Do you really think that you could achieve that in the Leaf Village?" She whispers to him.

"I don't think that I can find happiness in the Leaf, I already have. I appreciate your concern, but it's not needed." Sasuke retorts and Yeshiva could swear that she saw him grasp onto his traveling pouch a little bit too tightly.

No. That had better not be what she thought it was. Could there be an engagement ring inside that pouch?

It seemed that there was no time to waste. It was a good thing that she had sent those assassins out. If she hadn't, Sasuke likely would have proposed to Kurenai the second that he returned to the Leaf Village.

* * *

A few minutes later, Anko leaves the Uchiha District and heads back to her home. Kurenai didn't know it, but she and Mirai weren't the only people in the District at that moment. There were assassins who had been waiting all day fro their opening and now they had it.

"Do we really gotta kill a woman with a kid?" One of them asks.

"If you wanna live long enough to have one of your own, yeah." A second says.

With that, the second one a man called Zarath bursts in through the front door. It was a distraction technique of course. While Kurenai was dealing with the frontal assault, the other would knife her in the back.

"Who are you?!" Kurenai demands as she pulls out a kunai.

"Sorry. Orders are orders. We'll make this quick. If it's any consolation, we aren't planning on killing the kid." He says as he charges at her.

Kurenai's eyes narrow. We. He said we. That meant there was someone else coming at her. As soon as she hears that, she spins around and blocks the knife that he been coming at her back.

She quickly slices the kunai across his neck and blood pours freely from the wound. Mirai screams in terror, but Kurenai couldn't comfort her daughter. She had to whirl around to face his friend.

"You killed Ginata! You're going to pay for that! I was going to make this quick, but not now!" He says as the two of them clash.

Kurenai scarcely had time to note that Ginata had been a rather large red head with coal black eyes. That was irrelevant though. The man was down and he wasn't getting back up again. Kurenai had to make sure that she wouldn't share the same fate.

The sounds of their kunais and other weapons was soon heard throughout the house as the two ninjas fought for their lives. As they were fighting, Kurenai determines that her attacker's initial attack had been sloppy on purpose. The green eyed man with the long black hair had been trying to create an opening for "Ginata" to do the deed. That was why the Taijutsu expert had been so careless.

It was all that she could do to block his attacks. There just wasn't an opening. This man would probably wear her down. He was a Taijutsu Expert and she relied on Genjutsu. Her stamina was good, but his was probably better.

"GET AWAY FROM MY MOMMY!" Mirai shouts at him as she throws a lamp at the man.

It lands against the back of his head with a sickening crash. The glass splattered everywhere and Kurenai barely had time to dodge. If she hadn't been watching her daughter out of the corner of her eye, she wouldn't have managed that.

Her opponent wasn't so lucky. His black hair was now matted with thick dark red blood and he was furious. Kurenai stares in horror as he turns around to deal with Mirai. As lunged at her, Kurenai beat him to the punch. Slamming him into the ground.

"Stupid bitch!" He snarls as he grunts in pain.

The head injury was obviously slowing his reaction slightly. He was obviously disorientated, but he was still struggling and physically he had more raw power than Kurenai. She was having a hard time going in for a kill shot.

"Mommy!" Mirai screams out as she watches her mother battle the assassin.

"It's okay, baby!" She hisses out as one of his punches lands against her cheek.

That slight moment of hesitation was all that he needed. He manages to flip them and was about to drive a kunai straight into her heart, when something strange happened. Kurenai suddenly felt hot and the man began screaming.

The scent of burned flesh and screaming filled the room. It was at that moment that Kurenai realized she was on fire. Literally, on fire!

"Stupid bitch! Pulling a Fire Jutsu! Guess your lover must have rubbed off on you." The green eyed man says as he jumps off of her and rolls around.

He was desperately trying to put out the fire. Kurenai was about to go in for the kill, when something flies past her head and strikes the man right in his rib cage. That something turned out to be a sword. A very familiar sword.

"Fire Man!" Mirai says as she rushes over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here? I thought you were at the celebration." Kurenai asks in confusion.

"I sent a clone to her celebration. I had a feeling that she was going to try something." Sasuke says as his Sharingan and Rinnegan activate and he advances towards the very terrified ninja.

Kurenai had thought that she had seen fear, but she had never seen fear like that. The man might actually die from a heart attack before Sasuke could interrogate him. Though one thing was for damn sure, he wasn't going to yank himself free.

That sword was stuck right through his rib cage, he'd bleed to death. The only way he'd get out of this alive was for someone to remove the sword for him and even then, it wasn't going to be pleasant. That was likely by design.

"Attacking a pregnant woman is pretty low, even for a second rate assassin." Sasuke seethes at him.

"She's pregnant?!" The man asks in shock.

"Don't even pretend to be horrified. You were going to kill a woman in front of her toddler. Let's not pretend that you have morals now." Sasuke growls as he twists the sword, causing the man to scream.

Kurenai immediately rushes over to Mirai as the flames die down and covers her ears. She didn't want her daughter to hear those cries of agony. She was far too young to understand. She'd have nightmares.

"AHHH! YOU FUCKING DEMON!" He snarls in pain.

"Yeah. I'm the demon. You might as well get used to it. You'll meet a lot of demons in Hell. Oh and don't think that your friend are going to save you. Aoda is taking care of your buddies. Yeshiva actually sent twelve assassins. I guess she wanted to be thorough. Probably knew that this might happen." Sasuke seethes at him.

"Just make it stop!" He howls out in agony.

Kurenai winces. She didn't exactly feel much sympathy for the man who had been about to kill her in front of her daughter, but the Genjutsu Mistress knew what she would be dreaming about tonight. His screams.

"If you agree to testify against your Kage, I'll make it stop. After all, you're just a drone. I doubt you would have been suicidal enough to attack MY family, if Yeshiva hadn't ordered it." The Uchiha growls at him.

"How do I know that you won't kill me, anyway?" He demadns.

"Not a bad question, but someone in your position doesn't get to make demands." Sasuke says as he twists the sword further.

Kurenai winces once more as she realizes that he was probably slicing through muscle and tissues. Those cries of pain weren't something that she was easily going to forget and that was saying something. She was a Jonin. She had seen harsh combat before.

"Alright! Alright! I'll testify!" He growls as he glares hatefully at Sasuke.

"Smart move on your part. Though I'd rather not hear the sound of your voice until then." Sasuke says as he knocks him out and slowly slides the sword out of him.

"Sasuke, we need to get him to the hospital. He might bleed out." Kurenai whispers.

She sees Sasuke bite his lower lip in hesitation. It was clear that he was worried about leaving her alone, after an assassination attempt. Kurenai couldn't entirely blame him for that, but he needed to move fast and she had to comfort Mirai.

"Just Flicker off. I'll be alright. Aoda is nearby and you can leave some clones." She suggests.

"I'll be back soon. I'm just going to drop this scum off." He assures her as he forms a dozen or so clones, before proceeding to do that.

"Mommy, are the bad guys all gone?" Mirai asks fearfully as she runs over and clings to Kurenai's leg.

Kurenai sighs and embraces her daughter tightly. That had been close. Too close.

"Almost, baby. There's just one more bad person left to deal with, but you're safe now. The Fire Man and I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." She whispers.


	16. The Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Yeshiva's trial finally dawns and our favorite couple at lasts leaves the wicked Kage behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Four days later, a grand spectacle was seen in the Leaf Village. A spectacle that hadn't been seen for at least a generation or true. A Kage was on trial for attempted murder.

"Bad Lady in trouble?" Mirai asks Sasuke as she, Kurenai, and Sasuke sit in the audience.

"Yes, Bad Lady in big trouble." The eldest Uchiha confirms.

Sasuke had wanted to kill her. That was his natural impulse. His fury at what the TakiKage had tried to do was almost as great as the hatred that he had once felt for Itachi. Back when he thought Itachi had massacred their family to test his limits. Back before he knew the truth.

In some ways, the ninja was even more furious at Yeshiva than he had ever been at Itachi. At least Itachi hadn't tried to murder a pregnant woman and he most assuredly wouldn't have done so out of petty jealousy. His brother had valid reasons to attack their family. Yeshiva did not.

"I can't believe that it's almost over." Kurenai whispers and Sasuke nods as he caresses her cheek.

He was still a bit worried about the whole Kurenai radiating fire thing. Sasuke couldn't lie about that, but they had gotten the Genjutsu Mistress checked out. It seemed that it hadn't been Kurenai who used the Fire Jutsu.

_"We'll we've patched him up as good as we can for the moment. Now, would you mind telling me what the hell happened?" Tsunade demanded as she came out of the operating room._

_Her gloved hands and medical uniform were both stained red. Blood red. Zarath hadn't had an easy time of it, it seemed._

_Good. He deserved to suffer. The coward deserved to burn as far as Sasuke was concerned. That assassin had tried to assassinate his pregnant lover and likely would have had a go at Mirai as well for defending her mother! Sasuke could think of few things that would merit a punishment more than that._

_"Sasuke was invited to Yeshiva's celebration. I was at home with Mirai when the attack happened. One came at me from the front and the other from behind. I managed to fight them both off with Mirai's help until Sasuke came." The ruby eyed woman began._

_"Oh that's right. Yeshiva was having a celebration. Sasuke, what are you doing here? You know that it's not a wise idea to turn down an invitation from Kage!" The busty blonde said._

_Sasuke sighed. He hated this part. The explaining part. He would much rather get on with the punishing part._

_"I sent a clone to her party. Truthfully, I was afraid that something like this might happen. That's why I stayed behind and I'm glad that I did. If I hadn't, Kurenai, Mirai, and our child might be dead." The Uchiha hissed through gritted teeth._

_It was almost impossible to contain his rage. It was a living and breathing thing. A thing that was growing stronger by the minute. He wanted nothing more than to tear Yeshiva's head off, but Sasuke knew that he couldn't. At least not yet._

_"So there were two assassins? What happened to the other one?" Tsunade demanded._

_"Two bad men!" Mirai supplied helpfully._

_"There were two that attacked me directly. Apparently, there were ten more lurking in the District. Yeshiva wanted to ensure that it would be a successful hit." Kurenai muttered bitterly._

_Sasuke clenched his fists in response. It still made him tremble with anger to think of what had almost happened. He had almost lost his family AGAIN and this time it was over petty jealousy!_

_"Dare I even ask what happened to numbers two through twelve?" Tsunade inquired with a heavy sigh._

_"Aoda and I happened to them. I kept this one alive to testify against Yeshiva." Sasuke said simply as if it was the most natural thing in the world._

_"Are you sure that it was her? Accusing a Kage of an attempted assassination is a very serious thing." The medic warned him._

_Sasuke twitched. He knew that, but so was trying to kill the mother of his child and his actual child. Not to mention, the bastard probably would have killed Mirai as well!_

_"I know that! We have a witness though!" Sasuke seethed._

_"And there is one more thing. When he was attacking me, I suddenly caught on fire. It was like a Fire Jutsu, but I didn't do it. I think that I may need examined." Kurenai informed her._

_Tsunade blinked and for a moment, Sasuke was completely terrified! Was there something wrong with Kurenai?! Was there something wrong with the baby?!_

_"Alright. I'll have a look at you. Let's not panic until we run some tests." Tsunade pleaded as she began running the tests._

_A few hours later, Sasuke was certain that the busty medic had run every test known to man on his lover. That was when Tsunade frowned and he felt his heart stop beating. What could cause an experienced medic to freak out like that?_

_"Well I've done the tests. It wasn't Kurenai who made the fire. It was the baby. Your child's chakra levels are much higher than normal. I've run every test that I can think of though. Other than high chakra levels, I can't find anything abnormal about your pregnancy. Though I really wouldn't recommend being put in more dangerous situations until you give birth." The blonde warned him._

_"You're telling me, that my baby can use Fire Jutsus? He or she hasn't even been born yet!" The young mother yelled._

_"That's true. That's why I was so concerned. It looks like this child certainly takes after Sasuke in that respect. I've never heard of something like this before. It must have been reacting to your stress levels or something. We have no idea what kind of impact that could have on a baby. So you have to be careful." Tsunade repeated herself._

_Sasuke blinked. Their baby was producing fire from the womb?! How was that even possible?!_

"Neither can I." Sasuke agrees as the trial truly begins.

"Everyone, we're here today for the trial of Yeshiva. Yeshiva is accused of sending assassins after a Kurenai. Kurenai is one of the Leaf's Ninjas and if it is proven that a hit was ordered, this could be could be interpreted as an act of war." Kakashi says.

Sasuke glances at Yeshiva. Her face betrayed no emotion and that disturbed him. She was clearly trying to act her way through this. He wasn't going to let that happen.

There were gasps and cries of outrage. While Sasuke's reputation was slowly being rehabilitated, Kurenai was well known in the Leaf Village. She was respected. The thought that a Kage would go after her was enough trigger an outraged reaction from the audience.

"QUIET! This is a trial and we will have order in the Court!" Tsunade thunders at the crowd.

Amazingly, that did the trick. Sasuke sighs in relief. Once Yeshiva was punished, he and Kurenai could go on with their life. Like the Genjutsu Mistress had said, it was almost over.

"The first witness besides the defendants and accusers is Zarath." Sakura says.

That's when Kurenai feels herself shake a bit. Not with fear though. With anger. That man had tried to kill her, her baby, and her daughter. As far as she was concerned, he could burn with his Mistress.

"Right. So we all talked about this. The best way to do this is to put him under a Truth Jutsu. We decided to bring in a neutral party though. If we cast the Truth Jutsu, Yeshiva's village could claim that we rigged it. If she casts it, no one will believe that the TakiKage didn't rig it." Naruto adds.

Kurenai nods. She couldn't argue with that logic. It was really the only way to ensure that no one could dispute the accuracy of the Jutsu.

"That's why I agreed to cast the Jutsu." Baki says as he strides over towards Zarath.

Baki? The Sand Ninja? The Sand was allied with the Leaf, but so were all the villages. Though there was a chance that Yeshiva might dispute the choice.

Baki had been Gaara's instructor. Gaara was the Kazekage and one of Naruto's closest friends. Naruto was Sasuke's only friend. There were a few degrees of separation, but still. Would Yeshiva connect those dots?

"Baki serves the Kazekage. The Kazekage is friends with Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto was Sasuke's teammate. Though I suppose this is the closest you can get to being neutral. After all, who doesn't look up to Naruto?" Yeshiva asks sweetly.

A little too sweetly. She had something up her sleeve. Kurenai frowns at her casual response.

"Hinata, can you lock up her chakra points?!" Kurenai calls out.

There might be a way for Yeshiva to alter the Truth Jutsu and she wasn't going to give the woman a chance. Thankfully, she had a student who could lock up chakra points. That would make everything much easier.

"Yes, Kurenai Sensei!" Hinata says as she makes her way over to Yeshiva.

That's when her calm demeanor evaporated. Gone was the stoic woman who had been sitting on that chair and awaiting her judgment. She had been transformed into something resembling a wild animal.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! I've been accused of a crime! I haven't been convicted. You can't lock up my chakra like a common criminal!" She seethes.

"What's the matter? All you're doing is sitting there. You don't really have any need for your chakra at the moment and she can always unlock it, if you're really innocent." Kurenai taunts her.

"YOU BITCH! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT, IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU!" Yeshiva snarls as she lunges at Kurenai.

She slams into her, but Kurenai was just as furious as her opponent. The two roll around. Punching, kicking, and even biting. Sasuke's eyes wide in horror as he watches the fight.

Kureani had completely forgotten about the crowd that was watching shock. She didn't realize that Sasuke was looking for an opening. When Yeshiva manages to pin her, Sasuke Flickers over and punches her.

"Get your hands off of her!" Sasuke hisses as the woman goes flying back several feet.

A loud thud is heard as she goes flying into a nearby tree. The impact sounded vicious, but it wasn't enough. This woman deserved to suffer more than being smacked around once.

"I'm afraid that I owe you an apology, Baki. It seems that you've come a long way for nothing. Considering Yeshiva's reaction, I think that it is safe to say that we know who attempted to assassinate Kurenai." Kakashi says as he gazes at Yeshiva with narrowed eyes.

"It's quite alright." Baki says and idly Kurenai was rather impressed by his professionalism.

Anyone else would have been thrown for a loop, but the experienced Sand Ninja. It seemed that he was truly a man that could roll with the punches. Though that wasn't her primary concern at the moment.

Her primary concern was protecting her family. Protecting her family from this wicked woman and that was exactly what she was going to do. One way or another, Yeshiva was going to pay.

"You just attacked a Kage!" Yeshiva snarls at Sasuke as she gets up.

Her face was already turning red and purple from the force of the Uchiha's punch. Though Kurenai knew that Yeshiva should consider herself lucky. Sasuke's punch could have easily shattered every bone in her face, had he wanted it to do so.

"Yeah. I did. I don't know why you look so shocked. I attacked the Kage Summit once and you did just attack the mother of my child in front of me. You clearly have a death wish." Sasuke growls.

Kurenai blinks. Uh oh. She had been planning to break that news to the rest of the village a little more tactfully, but now it was out.

She knew that it was going to come out sooner or later, but Kurenai had always envisioned a more relaxed announcement. The atmosphere of the trial was now anything, but relaxed. It was the exotic opposite really as chaos erupted.

"I should have known better! I thought that you could be civilized. That you might want a better life in my village. That you'd be smart enough to leave the village that has caused you nothing, but misery. You're not though. You fell for her just because she batted her eyelashes at you. How pathetic?!" Yeshiva snarls at Sasuke.

"And I thought you would be smart enough to know that trying to kill a man's lover and his child was a death sentence. The only reason you're still breathing now is because the Leaf doesn't want a war with your village. A war that we could easily win, but I'm not going to have thousands of innocent people killed because their Kage was a desperate harlot." The other ninja roars at her.

Desperate harlot wasn't bad. Though Kurenai could think of several more colorful adjectives, really. She digressed though. Now wasn't the time to debate insults. Now was the time to punish the other woman.

"Very well as Yeshiva's guilt was established, I will issue the punishment. She attacked a member of the Leaf Village. That means as Hokage, I get to decide her fate." The silver haired Kage says.

Sasuke turns his attention to Kakashi. It was doubtful that the other man would allow him to kill Yeshiva, but he really hoped he was wrong. If anyone deserved to be sent straight to Hell, it was her.

"Obviously, Yeshiva you will abdicate your position as TakiKage. Failure to do so, will result in an immediate war with the Leaf Village. A war that you will lose." He begins.

"My Kageship?! Are you out of your mind?! You have no right to do this! Are you really willing to go to war over one tramp?!" She demands.

**_SMACK!_** Sasuke lost it. His hand moved before he even realized it. The Uchiha backhands her so viciously, that he could hear the sound of her jaw being crunched.

"Don't you ever talk about her that way again. Be grateful that you aren't being executed. You deserve to die and rot in Hell for what you tried to do. You might not have known Kurenai was pregnant, but you knew that you were ordering the assassination of a woman for the crime of being the woman that I love. That's more than enough to merit a death sentence!" Sasuke snarls at her.

Yeshiva tries to scream in pain, but that was difficult to do with a broken jaw. Kurenai couldn't help, but smirk at her agony. It was the least that she deserved.

She knew that she should have been disturbed by her sadistic impulse. Kurenai wasn't though. The woman had nearly killed her and her children. She couldn't just let that go.

"As it's likely going to be difficult for you to speak, you can just nod your head if you agree or shake it, if you don't. Now, where was I? Oh yes, you'll give up your Kageship, agree to have your chakra points locked up permanently, sanctions will be placed on your village, and I will allow Kurenai to choose another punishment for you. As long as it isn't fatal. We'd rather not have bad blood between our villages for generations. As much as you deserve to die, it's not worth a feud." Kakashi says.

She could do anything that she wanted to the other woman as long as it wasn't fatal. Hmm. What would be a suitable punishment for that viper?

Yeshiva glares hatefully at Kakashi, Kurenai, and Sasuke. After a moment though, she nods her head. The woman probably realized that it was foolish to resist.

"Sasuke, can you take Mirai home? I don't want her to see this." Kurenai says.

"Alright." Sasuke says as he scoops Mirai up into his arms.

"We going home, Fire Man?" She asks in confusion.

Kurenai sees Sasuke nod and carry her daughter off. She sighs in relief. Good. The girl had already seen too much gore for her liking. She wasn't going to have her see this.

"First, I want Hinata to lock up her chakra points. Permanently. Just as Lord Kakashi suggested." She states.

Hinata nods and slowly makes her way over to Yeshiva. The woman was restrained by Kiba and Shino. Kurenai couldn't help, but smile at that. Her team was so loyal.

"You c-can't do this!" The TakiKage screams through gritted teeth.

"Actually, I can. Well more specifically, Hinata can. Hinata?" She asks her student.

"Yes, Kurenai Sensei!" The Hyuga woman says as she proceeds to lock up the other woman's chakra points.

Yeshiva had agreed to give up her Kageship and to sanctions. She was now largely helpless without her chakra, but that wasn't enough. She had to be punished more.

"You tried to seduce Sasuke because you wanted the Sharingan Bloodline for your village. I'm sure that you're good looks are quite the source of pride for you. So let me take care of that." She says as she pulls out a kunai and cuts off the other woman's hair.

It was a jagged cut. Long in some areas and short in others. Kurenai made sure to lop off large chunks of hair in some areas and to leave others completely untouched. Hair would grow back, but it would take awhile. She didn't want to horrify the crowd too much.

"Is that it, Kurenai Sensei? She's no longer Kage, her village has been punished, she can't use her chakra, and a bad haircut?" Kiba asks warily.

"No. That's not it. Any children in the audience should advert their gaze and have their eyes covered. I think that it's time for a little poetic justice." Kurenai seethes.

The confused audience members quickly do as she asked. After all, if a Jonin thought a sight was too gruesome for children, it probably was. There were times when it was better not to question things. This was one of those times.

"W-what do you mean by poetic justice?" Hinata asks nervously.

"She wanted Sasuke for his eyes. So I'm going to make sure that she can't use her own. Hinata, you may wish to look away as well." Kurenai warns her student and Hinata wisely looks away.

Hinata was a kind and gentle soul. She didn't need to be exposed to level of carnage. Though Yeshiva, most certainly did.

Upon hearing this, Yeshiva struggles. She tries to run, but Kiba and Shino had her held down too tightly and she was still in agony from her broken jaw. The woman wasn't getting anywhere.

"You deserved far worse than this. You're fortunate that you're a former Kage." The Genjutsu Mistress hisses at her as she slashes the kunai across her eyes.

Blood splattered everywhere and the woman releases a tarrying scream. At that moment, Tsunade jumps over and rushes to Yeshiva. Obviously, she was going to treat her injuries. Though it was too late to prevent the woman from going blind.

"That was rather poetic justice, though more gory than expected. THIS TRIAL IS ADJOURNED. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!" Kakashi's voice thunders out.

As soon as Kakashi said that, everyone began dispersing. Not that Kurenai could blame them. She was sure that they were all aghast at the grisly scene, but she still didn't regret it.

She had protected her family. Kurenai could never regret doing that and really, the former TakiKage had deserved worse. Her village was lucky that the Leaf wasn't going to go to war over her assassination attempts.

"And all that because she was jealous." Kurenai mutters as she heads home.

* * *

It didn't take her long to return home. Mirai immediately rushes over to her side and hugs her tightly. Kurenai sighs as she leans down and hugs her daughter closely.

She hated that Mirai had to see such things. She was only a child. Children should be protected from people like Yeshiva and such horrible sights.

"You sent me away with Mirai. So I wouldn't kill Yeshiva. Clever." Sasuke says.

"Mmm. I won't lie to you. That was certainly part of it. Though mostly, I just didn't want Mirai to have to see that. Come on, Mirai. Let's put you to bed." Kurenai says with a smile.

There really was no point in lying to Sasuke. He was smart enough to figure out why she had done it. Though that hadn't been the only reason. She wanted Sasuke to know that.

"Bad Lady gone now?" The toddler asks as she follows her mother to her room.

"Yes, bad woman gone now. You're safe. I promise." The ruby eyed ninja assures her daughter.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke goes to find Kurenai. He leads her outside just as the Sun was beginning to set. Recently, they had planted a garden in the backyard. It was filled with all sorts of beautiful flowers, herbs, and growing food. It was quite lovely to look at as well.

"This might not have been as romantic as I had hoped, but she's no longer a threat. There's no reason not to ask you. I found this for you at the island. I hope that I got the right size." Sasuke says as he shows her a small velvet box and Kurenai opens it curiously.

Kurenai gasps at what she saw inside that little box. A beautiful silver band with a large sapphire in the middle. It was shaped like a heart. On both sides of the sapphire were large pearls. It was certainly a rather tropical wedding ring. It was likely the pearls had been found in the coastal waters of Yeshiva's Island Nation.

"It's beautiful." She whispers.

"Then it suits you. I know that I went out of order. You're already pregnant, but I do love you. I love you, Mirai, and our child. I want to do this the right way. The official way. I want you to be my wife." He says.

"I love you too!" Kurenai says as she jumps into his arms and kisses him.

She smiles when she feels her lover kiss back. Sasuke was certainly a naturally good kisser, but practice did make perfect. It was amazing how much he had learned since they were together. This was especially the case when it came to he usage of his tongue.

"Is that a yes?" He asks between heated kisses.

"Yes, that's a yes." Kurenai tells him with a smile.

"Good. It seems that the butterfly approves." Sasuke notes in amusement as Kurenai looks up to see that damn purple butterfly fluttering about again.

She laughs. It was the strangest thing. It was almost like that butterfly was watching them on purpose.

"Well if the butterfly approves, it must be a good idea." The Genjutsu Mistress observes.

"Mhm. Obviously. That's exactly what it means." Sasuke says with a smirk.


	17. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Kurenai finally get married and afterwards, enjoy a romantic getaway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

_Three weeks._ It had taken three weeks, but the day of her wedding had finally dawned. To say the least, Kureani was certain that it would be quite the spectacle.

Yeshiva was finally gone and Kurenai smiles as she watches Mirai fly on top of Garuda over the aisle with a rather large basket in her hands. A basket filled with Sakura Blossoms. Sakura Blossoms that the toddler was throwing down at the crowd rather enthusiastically. Much to the delight and amusement of all the guests in attendance.

"She's so cute!" Ino gushes as she looks up at the little girl who was flying high in the sky, on the back of a massive hawk.

"Look, Guy Sensei! Look! Look at the Power of Youth!" Lee exclaims excitedly as he points up at the sky towards the flower girl (and flower hawk).

Surprisingly, the Hyugas had offered the use of their Clan's beautiful gardens to the happy couple. Kurenai supposed that it might have something to do with the fact that she was Hinata's teacher. That and they weren't particularly pleased that a pregnant woman had been attacked.

The Hyugas might have a rather unforgiving Clan Hierarchy, but they weren't without honor. Clearly, attacking a pregnant woman was a bit too much for them to swallow and that was how the gardens had ended up being turned into a gorgeous wedding venue.

"You look beautiful, Kurenai Sensei." Hinata says with a shy smile.

"Thank you, Hinata. So do you." Kurenai replies as she watches her daughter throw more flowers from on top of Garuda.

As she does so, Kurenai fiddles with the sleeve of her beautiful kimono. It was a beautiful snowy white kimono made out of the finest silk available. The neckline was a little deeper than she would have liked, but that had been Anko's suggestion. She had said that Sasuke would like it.

While that had prompted an eye roll from the Genjutsu Mistress, she couldn't exactly deny that the other ninja was right about that. Sasuke was certainly fond of her breasts and well apparently all to other parts of her body, but especially her breasts.

"Thank you." The Hyuga woman beams at her.

The snowy white sleeves were long and the fabric flowed with her every step around her. It was as if a trail of clouds was following the Bride whenever she moved and she supposed that was intention. It had likely been designed to move that way.

The back of her gown had the Uchiha Crest sewn into it and Kurenai had almost blushed when she noticed that someone had done that. At first, she had suspected Sasuke had done it, but he swore that he didn't. Sakura had.

_"Sasuke, you know that it's considered bad luck for the Groom to see the Bride's wedding kimono before the ceremony, right?" Kurenai had chided him._

_"Yes, I know. Why? I haven't seen it." Sasuke replied in confusion._

_Kurenai raised an eyebrow at that. Right. Sasuke hadn't seen her kimono and the Uchiha Crest had just magically sewn itself into her gown. Of course._

_"Then how did the Uchiha Crest appear on the back of my kimono, if you didn't do it?" The dark beauty demanded._

_"Kurenai, I can't sew. The only person that I know who can is Sakura." Her lover protested._

_Sakura. Sakura could sew. Sakura could sew and she had been babysitting Mirai recently. The medic had done it._

_"That was kind of her to do this for us." Kurenai mused._

_"It's probably her way of reassuring us that she's gotten over her infatuation with me. Sakura is many things, but it's not in her to pursue a married man." Sasuke said with a shrug and Kurenai nodded in agreement as she smiled down at her beautiful kimono._

"You're welcome." Kurenai tells her as she admires the beautiful scenery around them.

It was Fall. So the rose gardens wouldn't last much longer. Nor would the apples and cherries on the trees. Though the brilliant array of Fall colors on the leaves more than made up for that.

Everywhere she looked, Kurenai was surrounded by an explosion of color. Radiant reds, outrageous oranges, pretty purples, and electrifying shades of yellow surrounded them as the Sun beamed down on them pleasantly, keeping away the worst of the Fall Chill.

"There goes Konohamaru. It was kind of him to agree to be the Ring Bearer." Kurenai says.

"Yeah. Cute kid." Anko agrees as she stands next to her friend.

Kurenai's Bridesmaids included Hinata, Anko, Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and a girl on Konohamaru's team. Kurenai couldn't remember her name, but she was certainly eager to be part of the festivities. So the Genjutsu Mistress didn't mind her presence.

A red carpet had been laid down on the grass to mark either side of the aisle. On both sides there were hundreds of white chairs draped with velvet red cushions and there had to be dozens of tables piled high with various foods and drinks all around the place.

"They really went a bit overboard on the cake." Sakura observes with a quiet giggle.

The cake was massive. Well the main cake anyway. There were hundreds of people crammed into the gardens. They needed more than one.

The cake was probably as tall as Kurenai and about as thick. It was a vanilla cake with red frosting. It was shaped like the symbol of the Leaf Village, but in the color of the Sharingan. The symbolism wasn't lost on Kurenai.

"They're trying to make him feel more like a part of this village." Tenten whispers.

Yes. That was exactly why they had done it. That was why the cake was in that symbol and the red was to make Sasuke feel more comfortable with the idea.

Sadly, Kurenai suspected such efforts were largely wasted on Sasuke. He would protect the Leaf with his life to honor Itachi, but mostly he was just focused on their family. The Genjutsu Mistress doubted that he felt any particular loyalty or love for the Leaf Village outside of a handful of people who Sasuke loved more than anything. Like her, Mirai, Naruto, and their son or daughter.

"You sure about this?" Kiba whispers to her.

As Kurenai walks down the aisle, she was escorted by Kiba and Shino. Her own father couldn't do it. He had died a long time ago. So she thought that it was fitting that her male students would give her away.

"Kiba! I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I can't believe that you're trying to talk me out of marrying Sasuke as I'm walking down the aisle." She whispers back.

"Yes, Kiba. Besides, she's already carrying his child. I'd say that it's too late to turn back now, anyway." Shino "helpfully" adds.

Kurenai sighs. Shino and Kiba were far less enthusiastic about her marrying Sasuke than Hinata was. That was only to be expected though. They were just being overprotective.

"Well that too, but I do love him. More than anything." She says as they finally arrive at the golden alter that the Hyugas had erected for the occasion.

"You look beautiful." Sasuke whispers as he caresses her cheek with one hand and takes her hands into his other.

"Thank you. So do you." Kurenai replies with a smile.

It was true. He was wearing a navy blue wedding kimono with the Uchiha Symbol on his back as well. In that way, they were certainly a matching set. The blue flattered his ivory pale skin and dark locks well in her opinion. Not to mention it hung around his sleek muscular frame tastefully.

"You're the only person that I would let get away with calling me beautiful. Well other than our children." He informs her.

Kurenai smiles. Sasuke was essentially saying that he was willing to adopt Mirai. With this marriage, she'd be his step daughter. That made her happy. He wasn't merely just tolerating her presence to make Kurenai happy. Sasuke genuinely did care for her in his own unique way.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the Union of Sasuke Uchiha and Kurenai Yuhi. If there is anyone here today who has any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Though I really wouldn't recommend objecting. Aoda and Garuda likely wouldn't take too kindly to anyone objecting." Kakashi points out cheerfully as the giant serpent and enormous hawk nod in agreement. (Aoda had made it his personal mission to guard the cake until Kurenai and Sasuke exchanged their vows).

Sasuke smiles. It was fitting in a strange way that Kakashi was the one who was going to marry them. After all, he had been their matchmaker.

Thankfully, no one objected. That was a relief. The last thing that he wanted was for someone to ruin their wedding with an objection.

"Wonderful. Do you, Sasuke Uchiha take Kurenai Yuhi to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and health? To love, honor, and cherish her for all of your days? To stand by her side in good times and in bad? And do you pledge to forsake all others, until death do you part?" The Masked Hokage inquires merrily.

"I do." Sasuke says without any hesitation.

"Perfect. Do you, Kurenai Yuhi take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and health? To love, honor, and cherish him for all of your days? To stand by his side in good times and in bad? And do you pledge to forsake all others, until death do you part?"

Sasuke smiles as he watches Kurenai. She looked beautiful in her pristine white kimono and with her dark locks contrasting stunningly against it. Her ruby red eyes were shining with happiness and though she wasn't showing much at the moment, it was nice to know that both of their children were at the ceremony.

"I do." She replies with a smile.

"Good. Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the Bride." Kakashi finishes.

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He quickly scoops Kurenai up into his arms and kisses her. Judging by the gasps from the audience, he might have gotten a bit carried away.

Who could blame him though? If they could feel what he felt when she returned his kiss, they'd understand. Oh well. She was already pregnant and everyone knew that. It wasn't as though the crowd didn't know that they were already lovers.

"Mmm. You are trying to cause a scandal, aren't you?" Kurenai asks with a quiet laugh, after he breaks the kiss.

"I might be. Though mostly, I just enjoy kissing you. We should probably throw the garter belt and bouquet." Sasuke points out.

"Mmm. Alright." Kurenai agrees as she sits in a chair and allows her husband to slowly slide the garter belt off of her leg.

The young Uchiha couldn't lie. He certainly enjoyed that part. She really did have lovely legs. Well Kurenai had a lovely everything actually, but he digressed as he hurls the belt into the crowd.

By that time, Kakashi had already rejoined the crowd. Kakashi got smacked in the head with the garter belt and Sasuke smirks. That's what he got for playing Cupid.

"Kurenai, can you aim those flowers at Anko?" He whispers into his wife's ear as he leans down to help her up.

"Mmm. I think that I can manage that." The Genjutsu Mistress whispers back and with that being said, she tosses her bouquet into the crowd.

Her aim struck true. Sasuke bites back a laugh as he sees the red roses fall into Anko's arms and the woman looks around in a rather confused fashion. He did feel a little guilty about the dirty looks that some of the other women were giving her, but whatever. It was funny.

"Sasuke, you did that on purpose!" Kakashi says accusingly.

"Yes, I did. It still counts. Now, if you'll excuse me…my wife and I have a cake to cut." Sasuke retorts as he walks over to the cake with Kurenai and the two of them cut it.

It took Mirai exactly 0.2 seconds to dart over there. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and gives her a slice. Before he really knew what was happening, the girl's face was covered in frosting.

"Naruto can just wash her face later." Sasuke assures Kurenai.

"Mmm. Alright. I'm surprised that you're trusting him with babysitting." His wife observes as they walk towards where some of their guests had already begun dancing.

"I don't. Not really. I just know that Hinata and Shikamaru are going to be there. Between the three of them, I expect they'll manage to return her to us in one piece." The raven haired ninja replies with a smirk.

"That's quite clever, My Love." Kurenai comments as she wraps her arms around his neck and sways to the classical music with Sasuke.

It was beautiful music. Flutes and other instruments that she didn't recognize were playing all in unison and creating an almost breezy effect with the musical notes. That and Sasuke's graceful dancing made her feel almost as though she was swaying in the wind instead of on the ground.

"Thank you. I thought so too. Are you feeling alright? No more Morning Sickness?" He asks in concern.

"Mmm. I'm feeling wonderful and yes, no more Morning Sickness. I think I'm well beyond that stage now. I just hope that our baby doesn't decide to make mommy breathe fire." She whispers.

Sasuke nods in agreement and twirls her around. Several hours passed. Kurenai had lost count of the number of times that they danced. The well wishes from their friends and family and the "helpful" suggestions from the older generation. (Most of which were entirely inappropriate)!

* * *

The Moon was high in the sky when the celebration finally ended. Kurenai and Sasuke made their tactful exit and quickly departed for their Honeymoon. Their Honeymoon that they were going to spend in the Waterfall Village.

"How did you convince them to let us stay there?" Kurenai asks as their carriage pulls them towards the Waterfall Village.

"Easy. When I was a Genin, Team Seven had a mission to help them. They remember. That and I guess they think that other villages are less likely to mess with them, if those villages know that the Waterfall Village is allied with me." Sasuke says.

"That is fairly manipulative." Kurenai comments.

"True, but it works. It's a beautiful village though and it's private. So it's perfect. Just like you." Sasuke says as he kisses her.

Kurenai smiles and kisses back. Sasuke might not believe her when she told him that he was sweet, but he was. In his own unique way.

* * *

Several hours later, they arrive in the Waterfall Village and Kurenai follows Sasuke into it. He knew the way and she simply didn't. Once they were inside, the Genjutsu Mistress had to agree with her husband. It was a charming little village by a river. Beautiful, peaceful, and private.

"This is the Inn that we'll be staying in." Sasuke informs her as he carries her inside Bridal Style.

He quickly checks in and gets the key from a receptionist. As he does so, Kurenai looks around curiously. It was a nice little inn. The outside was painted white and there was a rose garden. She could also see that a hot spring was located in the back. That was nice.

"It's perfect." She whispers and Sasuke nods in agreement as he carries towards their room.

Their room had a King Sized waterbed with sapphire blue sheets, blankets, and pillows. The floor had a silver carpet and the walls were a baby blue color.

Upon further appraisal, she saw a fireplace and a couch in what was something of a living room, a small kitchen, and a white marble bathroom. Oh and there was even a mini fridge.

"Mmm. You got this room because you didn't want to have to leave our suite to get anything, didn't you?" She asks with a quiet laugh.

"You caught me. Yeah. I didn't think we were going to be leaving this place, anytime soon." Sasuke admits as he kisses her and sets her down on the bed gently.

"I thought as much." Kurenai says with a sly smile.

**Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

"We've never made love on a waterbed before. This could be fun." Sasuke muses as he slowly undoes the sash of her wedding kimono.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement as she leans up and kisses him. He could be surprisingly playful when he wanted to be. Well that was just fine with her. They had two glorious weeks where no one would interrupt them and she intended to make the most of them.

Sasuke kisses back and smiles. It looked like Kurenai was thinking the same thing that he was. As he undoes the sash, he takes a moment to admire the white lacey lingerie that was now partially revealed to him. That was nice.

Nice, but really fragile. She was going to have to take those off herself. Well she was going to have to do so, if she didn't want him to burn them or rip them off.

"Yes, Sasuke. I know." She assures him as Kurenai slowly sits up and lets her kimono pool around her body.

After that, it didn't take her long to unhook her bra and slide out of her matching panties. Almost immediately, she shivers upon seeing that one of Sasuke's eyes was now ruby red and the other was lavender. Well that didn't take long.

"I don't think that I've ever met a man who gets as easily aroused as you do." She observes with a sly smile as she leans over and lets the bra fall off of herself, after kissing him.

"Well those other men clearly haven't seen you sitting naked on a waterbed before." Sasuke replies with a smirk after returning her kiss.

"Mmm you're such a flatterer. Somehow though, I doubt that mirror is a coincidence." Kurenai murmurs.

There was a mirror that was directly placed across from the bed. As of late, Sasuke had been "borrowing" from Kakashi's collection of erotic literature. Not that Kurenai was complaining.

Her lover wanted to explore new things to her. While she was an experienced woman, most of this was still new to him. She enjoyed being his first well everything. (Other than two accidental kisses with Naruto, but she digressed).

"It isn't." Sasuke tells her as he stands up and undoes his own sash.

There was something rather erotic about the way the fabric fell off of him and landed gracefully on the floor. That and Sasuke was just a gorgeous man. There was just no getting around that.

"You didn't wear any boxers." She observes with amusement as she pushes him until he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I knew they would be pointless. Just another obstacle between us. One that is easily gotten rid of, but why waist the extra ten seconds?" He retorts with a smirk.

Kurenai mentally concedes that was a fair point as she sinks to her knees until her face was eye level with his arousal. She hadn't been exaggerating when she said she'd never known another man who got aroused as quickly as Sasuke. She supposed that he was just a naturally responsive partner.

"Straight to dessert, huh? Alright then. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Sasuke says as performs the necessary handsigns and soon a clone appears behind the Genjutsu Mistress.

"Mmm you're becoming a deviant. Do you realize that?" She asks as she slyly takes him into her mouth.

"I w-wonder why?!" Sasuke moans out in reply.

God, that felt good. The things this woman could do with her mouth were nothing short of incredible. The only thing better than having her hot mouth wrapped around his cock was actually being inside her.

Kurenai laughs softly around him as she lavishes the sensitive tip with her tongue and sucks lightly. One of the most wonderful things about Sasuke was how sensitive he was and how vocal her lover could be. This was simply one of those times.

"You're a-amazing!" He groans as the clone gets behind her and pushes her slightly until she was on her hands and knees.

Once she was in that position, the clone wasted no time. Almost immediately, Kurenai could feel his warm, rough tongue against her most sensitive place and she squirms in response. Her womanhood was growing wetter with every passing lick and the fact that he was playing with her clit, only further served to heighten her desire.

She sucks harder and begins to take all of him into her mouth. The dark beauty wanted to make him feel what she did and judging by those moans and how quickly he was shallowly bucking into her mouth, the ninja knew that she was succeeding.

"So fucking good." He growls in pleasure as the clone toys with her clit more and only moment later, Sasuke spills his release.

"Mmm you always were sensitive." She murmurs, after releasing him.

"So were you." Sasuke tells her with a smirk as he watches his clone help her up.

Kurenai blushes as she feels the clone stand behind her and the original stands in front of her. Well this was certainly the start to a lot of women's fantasies. She was a bit spoiled for choice.

"Mhm." She murmurs as she kisses him and moans when she feels Sasuke rub her womanhood while the clone kisses the back of her neck.

"It's not really fair, if I'm the only one who finds release. Just relax and let me take care of you." Sasuke whispers hotly into her ear as he pumps his fingers in and out of her.

Kurenai moans and arches back against the clone who was still kissing her neck and had now begun to caress her breasts. It was almost overwhelming. The sensation of being touched nearly everywhere by not one, but two gorgeous lovers.

"T-True." She murmurs as she kisses him and strokes his arousal.

It hadn't taken him long to get fully erect again. His recovery time was almost inhuman. Which was a good thing for her. She couldn't wait to be joined with her husband again.

That's when his finger hit just the right spot and she moans his name as she tumbled over the edge. Drenching his fingers with the evidence of her pleasure as she pants. Desperately trying to catch her breath.

"That's better. Why don't you come and sit on my lap?" He asks as he dispels the clone and sits back on the bed.

Kurenai had absolutely no trouble complying with that request or was it an order? Oh well. She supposed that it didn't matter as she happily sits in her lover's lap and sighs in contentment when he kisses her throat and squeezes her ass.

"Think you can handle riding me?" Sasuke asks in concern as he glances down at her now more rounded belly.

Baggy clothes could still hide her pregnancy at this point, but Kurenai couldn't help but feel somewhat self-conscious without them. She'd never considered herself a particularly vain woman before, but the ninja wanted to be attractive for her lover. Though judging by the rather large and thick object pressing up against her thigh, she didn't need to worry about that last part.

"Sasuke, I'm a Jonin. There is a very little that I can't handle." She retorts smugly as she slowly slides onto her lover.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Sasuke murmurs seductively in her ear as he glances into the mirror.

Kurenai was facing the mirror as well. So he could see bouncing up and down the length of his cock as he kisses the back of her neck and caresses her breasts with one hand, while his other rubs her clit.

"Nhhh!" She cries out in pleasure as she begins to move faster.

It always felt so good. Kurenai doubted that she'd ever get tired of this feeling and watching herself with him added a new level of eroticism to their lovemaking. She could see the way that his hands would touch her and how his eyes were clouded over with desire.

The rosy tint to her own skin and how her hair would splay out everywhere. Her breasts bouncing as she moved with her lover as if they were only one person, each thrust sending her closer and closer to the edge.

"You're beautiful." He growls with approval as he lightly bites down on her shoulder and thrusts into her faster and harder.

The bed begins to shake slightly under the force of their lovemaking, but neither cared. The rest of the world no longer existed as far as they were concerned. Only this. Only being together.

She arches back against him and moans. She loved the way that Sasuke would touch almost every part of her at once. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her and the way that he filled her completely. It was all too much!

"S-Sasuke!" She screams in pleasure as she tumbles over the edge into ecstasy once again.

"Kurenai!" Sasuke groans in bliss as he spills his seed deep inside her.

The rest of their honeymoon was spent in a blur of tangled limbs and heated moans. Both were too enraptured by each other to even bother leaving their Suite. By the end of their Honeymoon, Kurenai doubted there was a single spot in that room that they hadn't made love in.

"You're amazing." Sasuke whispers, after they were both finally sated on the final day of their Honeymoon and he slides out of her.

"Mmm. So are you." She whispers as she snuggles into him.

**End of Honeymoon Lemon**

Sasuke smiles as he curls up next to his lover, after their latest lovemaking session. They had spent almost their entire Honeymoon in each other's arms. It was a shame that it was almost over.

"I love you. Though I suppose we should probably get back to the Leaf. Naruto will likely send out a search party, if we're even one day late." He points out.

"Mmm. Yes. That's true. That and I missed Mirai." She says with a sigh.

"As any good mother would. Let's get dressed and head back." Sasuke tells her.

Kurenai nods and the happy couple proceed to do exactly that. They'd likely be back in the Leaf by tomorrow morning. She couldn't wait to see Mirai again and her ultrasound appointment was coming up. It wouldn't be long before they would find out if they were having an Uchiha Prince or Princess. Now, that was exciting.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone welcomes Sasuke's and Kurenai's son into the world, a certain butterfly and his friend congratulate themselves on a job well done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of A Woman's Touch.

Several months later, Sasuke was a complete wreck. On one hand, he knew that childbirth was a natural process. A natural process that Kurenai had already been through once before. On the other hand, those screams did **_not_** sound normal.

"Is Mommy going to be okay?" Mirai asks Sasuke in the waiting room.

"Yes, she'll be fine. It just takes awhile for a baby to be born and unfortunately, childbirth is not a fun mission to go on. Though it's said to be the most rewarding one to complete." Sasuke assures his adoptive daughter.

He wanted to be in the waiting room with Kurenai and initially, he had been. That hadn't lasted long though. Kurenai had kicked him out almost immediately after her contractions started coming in earnest.

Kurenai had said that him glaring the medics wasn't helpful. That he was scaring the medics and that was a bad thing to do during childbirth. Admittedly, he had probably been glaring at them. They deserved it though!

"Oh. How long Mommy be gone?" Mirai asks.

"I don't know exactly. Every delivery is different. Though it shouldn't be much longer now." The Uchiha Patriarch replies.

Obviously, they weren't doing their jobs right! If they were, his wife wouldn't be in THAT much pain! They had deserved the glares and more! Well at least in his opinion, anyway.

It was hard for him to accept the fact that there was little that he could do to help Kurenai through this. There was little that he could do for his wife and his son at this point. Sasuke was no medic. All he could do was be there for her and that just didn't feel like enough.

"Little brother be here soon then?" Mirai asks and Sasuke nods in confirmation.

Little brother. Their first child that shared their blood was going to be a boy. Mirai was going to have a little brother. Well technically a little half-brother, but Sasuke digressed.

To him, Mirai might as well be his daughter. She'd never manifest the Sharingan without an eye transplant though, but that didn't really matter. Family was about more than just blood.

"Yes, he will be." Sasuke agrees as he remembers the day that he and Kurenai found out that they were having a boy.

_"Are you sure you want to know or do you want to be surprised?" Sasuke asked Kurenai as they walked into the doctor's office._

_Kurenai smiled and held his hand in response. His wife was now a little over halfway through her pregnancy and she was certainly showing. It wouldn't be too long before their son or daughter was born._

_"I'd like to know. It's easier to buy things for the baby that way. Oh and this way, we can narrow down the list of baby names." She told him._

_That was a good point. It would narrow the list of baby names down by approximately fifty percent. While he certainly didn't mind buying Girl Stuff and Boy Stuff, Sasuke supposed that it would be more practical to know._

_He was more than willing to buy things for girls and things for boys though. Eventually, he did plan to have more than one biological child. Sooner or later, he figured they'd have at least one of each._

_"Alright. Let's go find out then." Sasuke said with a smile._

_Not that he wanted to spring all that on Kurenai so early. Sasuke was hoping for at least three children of his own by blood. Four, counting Mirai as she was his adoptive daughter. Though ideally, four or five would be nice._

_"I'm warning you, this is cold." Tsunade informed Kurenai._

_"I know. I know. I've done this before, Lady Tsunade." The Genjutsu Mistress replied with a sweet smile._

_A sweet smile that never failed to make Sasuke's heart skip a beat. He didn't know what it was about that smile, but he would literally move mountains to see it. He knew that much._

_"Alright. Well still I felt a warning was only sporting." The busty medic responded as she placed the gel over Kurenai's pregnant belly._

_"EEK!" Kurenai shrieked, almost immediately after the gel was put on._

_Sasuke blinked. He wondered what was in that stuff. What could possibly be cold enough to make an experienced Jonin like Kurenai shriek like that?_

_"I did warn you. Hmm. Let's see what you have here today." Tsunade said as she glanced at the image on the machine._

_Sasuke smiled as he held Kurenai's hand. That was there baby. This was the first time that they had ever actually "seen" their son or daughter. The importance of the moment was not lost on him._

_"Mmm what we have is a child who is kicking because he or she didn't like the cold gel either." Kurenai muttered._

_Tsunade laughed as she tried to determined the gender. Sasuke watched curiously. Their baby was certainly an active one. He could see what Kurenai meant when she said that the baby was kicking. It kicked a lot._

_"I don't know, if it's a boy or a girl. Though I'm betting that our child will be rather good at Taijutsu." Sasuke said with a smirk._

_"Mmm. Most likely." Kurenai agreed as she kissed her lover._

_"Well it's a boy. A bouncing, baby boy. Well I guess that I should say a kicking, baby boy. Though that doesn't really have the same ring to it. Hopefully, he won't have Sasuke's temper." The blonde woman mused._

_Sasuke twitched. Hmpf! She just had to go and bring that up. Wasn't she supposed to be a professional?!_

_"Mmm. Sasuke's temper is just fine these days. All he needed was a little love." Kurenai defended her husband._

_"Uh huh. Well you certainly gave him that." Tsunade said with a smirk as she looked at the ultrasound slyly._

_"One of the reasons why I fell in love with her is because Kurenai is actually a professional, unlike most of people in this village." Sasuke scoffed._

_Now it was Tsunade's turn to twitch. Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk at her reaction. Good. He shouldn't be the only one who was annoyed._

_"Will you two play nicely?" Kurenai asked with a sigh._

_"I will, If she does." Sasuke grumbled as Tsunade muttered something similar._

_Kurenai just shook her head in response. The Genjutsu Mistress had the patience of a saint in his mind. Sasuke would never understand how she could be that understanding about almost everything._

_He just knew that he was really lucky to have her. Really, really lucky. He didn't deserve her, but Sasuke knew that he was never letting her go._

"I can't wait to meet little brother!" Mirai says and Sasuke smiles.

"I feel the same way, Mirai. I feel the same way." The Uchiha Patriarch replies as he kisses her forehead.

That's when Sasuke notices a familiar head of blonde hair racing towards him. Naruto. Naruto was here and he wasn't alone. He had drug Team Eight, Kakashi, Anko, and Sakura along with him. Oh and Shikamaru.

"What a drag. You guys don't know how long she'll be in labor for. We could be waiting here for hours. They won't even let us in to see her. We aren't family." Shikamaru points out.

Sasuke wasn't fooled though. He knew that the lazy ninja was just as worried about Kurenai as he was. Kureani was the mother of Asuma's child. That meant that Shikamaru felt protective of her.

He would have been jealous, if it wasn't such a parental sort of bond between the two. Not that he should logically be jealous, even if it wasn't. Shikamaru was way too lazy to ever satisfy a woman like Kurenai.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing that I brought a good book to pass the time and that the Waiting Room is so comfortable." Kakashi says cheerfully.

He couldn't help, but wonder how he was able to keep up with Temari. The blonde Sand Ninja was pretty feisty to say the least. Oh well. Sasuke supposed that love was capable of miracles. At the very least, love made Shikamaru at least somewhat less lazy around the feisty blonde than he was around anyone else.

Screw the Power of Youth! It had nothing on the Power of Love and Lust! Lee didn't have any clue what he was babbling on about!

"Kakashi Sensei! I can't believe that you're going to read that while Kurenai is in labor!" Sakura exclaims.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Why wouldn't Kakashi read erotic literature while Kurenai was in labor? He read it every other day and it wasn't as if the man could actually help his wife.

Kakashi was a powerful ninja. That much was true, but he didn't have any medical training. Tsunade wouldn't even let him in the room.

"Well we need to pass the time somehow?" The silver haired ninja asks as he sheepishly rubs the back of his head.

"Unbelievable!" Sakura growls.

"Sakura, you're a medic. They'd actually let you in the room. Why don't you go check on Kurenai?" Anko suggests as she eats a Dango.

Sasuke nods approvingly at that suggestion. He still couldn't believe that he had been kicked out of the delivery room. He was the father for goodness sakes!

"Right! I'll go see what's going on. I'll be back in a few minutes." The pink haired woman says and with that, she dashes off towards the delivery room.

"How are you holding up? I mean, this is a pretty big day for you!" Naruto asks his friend.

Sasuke frowns as he considers the answer to that question. Quite honestly, he was a nervous wreck. Naturally, he wasn't going to let Naruto know that though.

"About as well as can be expected. Kurenai is the one that you should be worried about." He says with a sigh.

"S-She'll be alright." Hinata states sympathetically and Sasuke gives her a grateful nod.

He was probably being ridiculous. After all, Kurenai had given birth once before and she was a perfectly healthy woman. There wasn't really any reason to suspect that something would go wrong.

"Thank you, Hinata." He replies softly.

"Kurenai really worked some miracles on him. The bastard actually said thank you!" Naruto comments brightly.

"Yeah. That really is nothing short of a miracle." Kiba agrees as Akamaru barks as if to confirm what his Master said.

Sasuke rolls his eyes in response and glances at the book that Kakashi was reading. Oh that was a good one. He particularly liked the use of the classroom desk in chapter 36.

"That's one of my favorites." He says as he skims the page.

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. You did fall in love with a teacher." The Masked Ninja replies, his eyes glimmering in amusement.

Sasuke proceeds to ignore the flabbergasted looks upon his teammates, team eight, and Anko's faces. He didn't know why they were that shocked. He was almost a father now. Honestly, how did they think Kurenai got pregnant?

"I can't believe that you read that trash!" Shino exclaims.

"It's not trash. It's educational." Sasuke mutters with a shrug as Sakura walks back into the Waiting Room.

He looks at her anxiously. Surely, his former teammate would tell him, if something was going wrong. Right?

"It's alright, Sasuke. So far everything seems to be going normally." She tells him.

Upon hearing that, Sasuke lets out a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath, but apparently he had. This was madness. He could only hope that Kurenai and their son would be alright.

* * *

What seemed like an eternity later, Shizune comes out of the Delivery Room and heads over to Sasuke. Immediately, the expectant father stands up. This could either end really well or really badly.

"It's alright, Sasuke. Congratulations. You now have a beautiful son and Kurenai is in recovery. You and Mirai can go see them now, if you like. Just them for now though. We don't want to overwhelm them." She tells the other visitors.

"Awe come on! She's our teacher! That should count for something!" Kiba protests.

"It's alright, Kiba. We can wait a few more minutes or hours. It's not going to hurt anything." Shino assures him.

Sasuke ignores the grumbling from Naruto and Kiba. At least Sakura, Kakashi, Anko, Hinata, and Shino seemed to understand what was going on. This was a sacred moment and he honestly didn't feel like sharing it. Well at least not yet.

With that mind, he heads into the Delivery Room. He smiles when he sees Kurenai snuggling a tiny bundle in a blue blanket against her chest. Though he suspected his son was already nursing.

"Oh he's definitely my son. He already loves your breasts as much as I do." Sasuke says with a smirk as he walks over to her with Mirai at his side.

Thankfully, the toddler was a little too young to fully understand the implications of that. Though Kurenai wasn't. It was all that Sasuke could do not to burst out laughing at the dirty look Kurenai gave him.

"I went through labor for hours and hours and that's the first thing you say to me?" She demands.

"Well it was a compliment." Sasuke says in his defense as Mirai rushes over to her mother.

"Mommy! Little brother!" She says excitedly as she looks down curiously.

Well at least that was one thing that they didn't have to worry about. Mirai already seemed to adore her baby brother. It would be nice though, if the girl would let Sasuke have a better look. At the moment, all he could see was the blue blanket.

He smiles at what he saw. A baby boy with Kurenai's ruby red eyes and his raven black hair. Though he noted the hair was a bit wavier than his was. Probably Kurenai's influence, Sasuke decides.

"Little brother is so cute!" Mirai giggles.

Indeed he was. He had inherited Sasuke's ivory pale skin and for the most part his facial features. Though he most certainly had Kurenai's ears and smile. He also had Itachi's face markings.

"Yes, he is." Sasuke agrees as he kisses Kurenai's forehead and smiles down at their son.

"What should we call him?" Kurenai asks softly.

Hmm. That was a good point. Names were important. They needed to give him a good name. After all, he'd be stuck with whatever they picked for the rest of his life.

"Makoto." Sasuke says after thinking about it for a moment.

His son coos and giggles in response. He still couldn't believe that he had helped to create something so innocent. So pure and so well cute. Cute and fragile. (Unless he was creating fireballs in the womb).

"Truth, reality, and genuineness?" Kurenai asks, testing out the meaning.

"Mhm because the truth is that I can't believe that this is my reality now. That I have you and our family and he has such a genuine smile. Just like his mother." Sasuke tells her and Kurenai smiles in return, reaching over to kiss him.

Sasuke kisses back only to be interrupted by Mirai making yuck noises and the door slamming open. He didn't even need to look to see who it was. It was Naruto.

"Alright, bastard! Come on! We want to see him too! Hey, how are you feeling Kurenai?!" Naruto asks merrily as the group bursts into the room.

Kurenai shakes her head in amusement. Well her son certainly was going to receive quite the warm reception into the world, it seemed. Hopefully, Sasuke wouldn't Chidori Naruto for being so overenthusiastic though.

"You're such an idiot! She just delivered a baby! How do you think she feels?!" Sasuke demands as he twitches in annoyance.

"Hey! It was just a question!" Naruto grumbles.

On this one, Kurenai had to side with her husband. It was rather obvious how she was feeling. Despite that, she knew that Naruto meant no harm and she really didn't want to see the Delivery Room get torn apart by one of their "friendly spars."

"Naruto, I'm doing wonderfully now that I'm holding my son in my arms and have the reset of my family and loved ones surrounding me." Kureani tells him.

"Kurenai Sensei, he's beautiful." Hinata says with a shy smile as she makes her way over to them.

"Yes, he is. He takes after his father that way." Kurenai says smugly.

That prompted several amused snorts. Mostly from the men who were visiting. The snorts stopped almost immediately after Sasuke gives them dirty looks though.

"He really is. Congratulations!" Sakura beams at her.

"Well Sasuke, I see that you weren't exaggerating when you said that the books were educational for you." Kakashi playfully teases him and Sasuke just rolls his eyes in response.

Oh yes. That reminded her. The Genjutsu Mistress was definitely going to have to thank Kakashi for those books. She and Sasuke had had so much fun reenacting the various scenes in them.

"Cute kid. Hard to believe that Sasuke is the father." Kiba muses.

"What a drag. If Kiba doesn't shut up, Sasuke will probably throw him out the window soon. I have to admit though, he is adorable." Shikamaru says with a loud yawn.

"Well I don't know how you do it Kurenai. I don't think I could manage one, but you're going to manage two. Though I guess I can't blame you. They are cute little rascals." Anko says with a wink.

Kurenai smiles and nods as she nurses her newborn son rather discretely. He was such a happy little thing. He had only cried when he was born and being given his various vaccinations. Now, he was perfectly content to cuddle up to her and bask in all the attention that everyone was giving him.

"Well most likely, we'll be managing at least three relatively soon. I figure that we'll wait until he's about two before going for a tiebreaker. Right now, we have one boy and one girl." Sasuke says.

"Mmm and when was this decided?" Kurenai asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I figure by two, he'll be able to talk, walk, and use the bathroom by himself. That and you'll have time to recover." Sasuke reasons.

"Uh huh. I guess that's sound logic and how many little bundles of joy were you thinking of having?" She asks.

She loved Sasuke with all her heart. Kurenai loved their family with all their heart, but she was likely going to have to put her foot down. She was NOT going for double digits!

"I was thinking we'd give Mirai three or four brothers and sisters. At least two." He admits.

"That's…better than I expected really. Alright. We can probably do that." She says.

"I know that we can." Sasuke says with a smirk as he whispers something in her ear that causes Kurenai to lightly swat him and blush as red as tomato.

She loved him. Kurenai really did, but she had turned him into some kind of deviant. Though there was no denying that Sasuke was every inch the proud papa at the moment. God help the Leaf Village if any of their children scraped their knees or something.

"I've created a monster." She whispers to him in amusement.

"Mhm, but I'm a monster who loves you and our family more than anything. Speaking of misunderstood creatures, when you're feeling better we can take him to meet Aoda and Garuda. They really want to meet our son, but they can't fit inside the hospital." Sasuke murmurs.

Ah. That was a good point. It was hard to fit a snake or a hawk of that size into a building.

"Alright. I'm sure that Makoto will grow to love them just as Mirai and I have and I love you too." Kurenai tells him with a smile.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the happy couple, they were being watched. A purple butterfly flies onto a cloud and suddenly transforms into a man. A man with crimson red eyes and markings on his face identical to the newborn who was nestled so sweetly in his mother's arms.

"They seem to be doing well." Asuma comments to Itachi as he smokes on his cigarettes.

"Yes, they do. Oh and put that thing away. It's bad for you." Itachi mutters as he watches the loving scene down below.

"Bad for me? What do you think the cigarettes are going to do to me? I'm already dead." Asuma points out.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Well that was certainly true. Though he didn't care for the habit.

"The smoke irritates my eyes. In any case, Kurenai safely delivered my nephew. So mission accomplished. Kurenai is no longer alone and neither is my foolish little brother." Itachi says.

Shortly after his passing, Asuma had approached Itachi and they had come up with a plan. The recently deceased ninjas had both left behind precious people who were alone and they had decided to fix that. That was why Itachi had assumed the form of a butterfly to watch out over his foolish little brother.

"Good. I'm glad." He comments.

"And you don't have any issue with jealousy in this case? You're a better man than I am in some ways. I don't think that I could have done it." The elder Uchiha Brother says.

"I'll admit that there are times when I'm jealous, but I can't be there for her in person anymore and I don't want her to be alone. That and Mirai needs a father who can actually tuck her in at night. It's worked out well for the best. Hey, what are Kakashi and Anko doing?" Asuma asks as he glances down to see the silver haired man snap a picture and exit the room with his lover.

Itachi looks down and blinks as he notices that Kakashi had taken a picture of Sasuke and his new family. Anko had also attached a note to it and was now placing the contents in a scroll. A scroll that he was attaching to a messenger hawk.

"I believe that they're sending someone a picture to someone. Most likely to commemorate the occasion." Itachi says thoughtfully.

"Right. Good idea on their part. Let's see what it says." Asuma comments as he focuses on the picture and the words inscribed upon it.

**Dear Yeshiva,**

**I hope that you are recovering well your injuries. I know that you can't see this picture, but I'm certain that someone will describe it to you.**

**I have enclosed a picture of Sasuke, Kurenai, Mirai, and their newborn son. I suppose that he needed a woman's touch and not a viper's touch. Don't interfere with my student or his family ever again. It will never end well for you.**

**Sincerely, Kakashi and Anko**

Itachi snorts in amusement. Kakashi always did have such a wicked sense of humor. It seemed that hadn't changed since their ANBU Days.

"It's almost a pity that she can't see the picture, but I have to agree with them. It does seem that Sasuke prefers women over vipers. Not that I can blame him." Asuma comments.

"True and yes, it is a pity. My nephew is adorable. Oh and so is your daughter, of course." Itachi adds quickly.

"You're welcome and thank you. Yes, she is. Well Sasuke had better take good care of my girls and Makoto or else I'll have to haunt him." Asuma says cheerfully.

The elder Uchiha Brother chuckles in response. He could easily picture Asuma doing so. The man would probably put on a white sheet or something and chase his foolish little brother around until he got the message.

"Noted. Though I don't believe that will be necessary. After all, my brother is foolish, but he's not stupid. He knows what he has and if he screws this up, I'll haunt him myself. We put a lot of work into this. You implanted those suggestions into Kakashi and I followed them around to make certain they would get together. He had better not undo all our hard work." Itachi says with a sigh.

"Indeed. Well come on then. I hear that Jirayia is throwing a party today. Say what you will about that man, but he throws a damn good party." Asuma says with a wink.

Itachi laughs and nods in agreement. The Legendary Sannin was quite happy in his afterlife. He imagined that someday Tsunade would join them and he'd be even happier.

For now though, Itachi had a party to attend and his foolish little brother had a family to take care of. Everything would sort itself out in time. Eventually, Sasuke would join him and the rest of their family in the afterlife and they could all be together again.

"I've always loved happy endings." He whispers to himself as he darts off after Asuma towards the Jirayia's celebration.

After all, one would have to be very foolish to miss one of Jiraiya's parties. Itachi was many things, but foolish wasn't one of them. Which is why there was no way that he was going to miss this!

Someday, Sasuke would be able to join him and the rest of their family at these events. Hopefully, not for a long, long time though. He wanted his foolish little brother to live long enough to become a foolish great grandfather. Itachi could wait. He could be patient.

"And until then, Sasuke has a beautiful wife and loving family to pass the time with." Itachi says with a smile on his face as he and Asuma join what was sure to be one wild party.


End file.
